Although Graham had no wine making experience, he researched extensively and did a short wine course at Stellenbosch University, run by Professor Du Toit. He spent the 2020 Harvest season assisting in the winemaking process at Du Swaroo with tutoring from Kallie Calitz and Tony Bailey and Die Krans under winemaker Christof De Wet, to get hands on experience.

 

With a little trepidation and a whole lot of determination he tackled his first solo season. Graham, ever ambitious, has made twenty-one wines this 2022 season and is eager for feedback on his efforts!

The Anley’s philosophy is to keep everything as natural as possible. Since purchasing the property the soil has been extensively worked and improved by using organic fertilisers and mulch, which has led to a noticeable improvement in the vines and a doubling of the harvest from the previous year. Cultivation of the vines, olives and fruit trees will be done with minimum intervention, following principals of natural farming with natural organic and biodynamic methods such as making use of cover crops between vineyard rows to increase the biodiversity in the soil.

 

The property is small with a thousand vines made up of Portuguese varietals of Touriga Nacional, Tinta Barocca, Souzoa and Muscat D’Alexandria. From these, a small quantity of port style fortified wine, a Hanepoot and a Touriga Nacional dessert wine have been made. The balance of the wines have been made from local grapes sourced in and around Calitzdorp.

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