February 2012

As this Newsletter is being written our first small tank of wine is already fermenting!

The harvest season is the most important time of the year in our winemaker’s life. The short holiday, relaxing at the seaside, feels like a life time ago!

VINEYARDS (50 Hectares – Red varieties only)

Heat and more heat is what we experienced on the farm the last few weeks of January and beginning of February. This has resulted in some of our vineyards getting sunburnt. The grapes shrivelled up and became dry raisins. This will result in a substantailly smaller crop.

A brief overview of the season’s weather which had an influence on the crop read as follows: June till August 2011 was a very good winter with cold temperatures. The rainfall on the other hand was 25 to 40 % less than the long term average for Paarl, Mamesbury and Stellenbosch. September was warm and dry and the vineyards experienced good growth and a promising start to the season was shown. Rain in November resulted in uneven and poor fruit in some vineyards (bunches were loose and uneven in size). During mid-November to December the cool mild weather continued, with ideal growing conditions for the grapes. Extreme heat was experienced during January and February 2012. For seven consecutive days the temperature stayed above 35° for most of the day. At 07h00 we experienced temperatures of 30º and higher. This lead to heat damage/sunburn and a loss of crop.

On the plus side, except for the loss as a result of the heat, we still have vineyards where the grapes show good growth and compact bunches with small berries. This will result in good quality wines. We were expecting a slightly bigger crop than last year but at the moment we predict a 21% smaller crop compared to last season.

BERNHEIM WINERY

To have the cellar ready for the arrival of the grapes a mad rush and scurrying around were experienced. Vineyard blocks had to be classed and selected according to expected quality. Yeast had to be ordered and the cellar equipment and tanks cleaned. It is now up to Mother Nature, while we sit and wait for the grapes to reach optimum harvest conditions.

The Bernheim team would like to make use of this opportunity to thank all our loyal supporters and wine fans. We hope to see you at the wine tastings and shows during the year.

Regards

The Winemaker and Bernheim team

BERNHEIM WINES NEWS LETTER No. 4

We have reached that time of the year when many South Africans are starting to clean the camping equipment and getting ready to spend the Christmas holiday at the seaside. At the time of writing this news letter we have had 30 mm of rain and we still had some snow on the mountain peaks. The weather is very unpredictable, with warm days followed by cold rainy days and lots of wind.

VINEYARDS (50 Hectares – Red varieties only)

The past season’s weather will have an influence on the next crop. During the period June till August it was very cold with snow on the mountain peaks. Statistics showed that May and July were warmer than average for the past few years and June and August cooler. The total rainfall measured on the farm for June 2011 was more than the same period last year. However July to November were drier than the previous year.

The weather continued to fluctuate during September and October, with warmer days in October. The total rainfall is 80 ml less than for the same period last year. This causes concern as the soil water level is not ideal and our irrigation dams are not as full at the beginning of our vineyard irrigation programme as we would like them to be.

Towards the last few weeks of the pruning, we thought that we might need some extra hands to help, but our vineyard team managed to finish the pruning on time. At the moment we are busy suckering of vines that are budding and getting canopy wires ready to support the shoots.

The predicted crop size for the Paarl area is smaller than the 2011 crop. This is due to an expected small Chenin Blanc crop in our area. At Bernheim (with only red grapes) we are expecting a similar size to the 2011 season.

Indications are that our 2012 harvest will start late January to early February unless we have a hot spell which could move that starting date forward.

BERNHEIM WINES

We are now preparing the winery for the next crop. Cooling plants, pumps and other machinery are serviced and everything is checked.

The extra care taken in the vineyards and winery are starting to produce results. The 2010 Bernheim Pinotage Rosé was given 3 stars and chosen as a Best Value Award Winner by the 2012 Best Value Wine Guide.

The 2011 Pinotage Rosé is our latest addition to our Bernheim’s Casual Collection range and was released in October. The Rosé is made from 100% Pinotage grapes grown on the slopes of the Paarderberg, and is certified Wine of Origin, Voor Paardeberg. This Rosé (2011) is slightly drier and crisper than the 2010 vintage. This is a result of the winemaker stopping the Rosé fermentation naturally by racking (pumping the wine to another tank) and cooling it as much as possible. This inhibited the yeast activity of converting the sugar to alcohol and as this is not an exact science the natural grape sugar that results will differ from vintage to vintage. The important aspect is balance and Jacques the winemaker is very pleased with the end result. He is also of the opinion that this wine will drink well during the hot summer months.

Our 2008 Classique (Bordeaux style) received a VERITAS Silver Award at this year’s award ceremony. Jacques is confident that this wine will go on to win many more medals.

The release of our 2005 J.H. Pacas range at the same time when we received their VERITAS Award was a stroke of good luck. The       J. H. Pacas Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 received a VERITAS Silver Award and the J.H. Pacas Shiraz 2005 a VERITAS Bronze Award.

The Bernheim team would like to make use of this opportunity to wish all our fans a safe and festive holiday season. Enjoy good company and even better wine!

Regards

The Bernheim Team