Terroir and Vineyards 

Terroir
Herold has its own unique microclimate, midway between cold, wet George and hot, dry Oudtshoorn. With an average annual rainfall of 820 mm and mists that pour over the mountain from the coast, the climate is temperate. At an average altitude of 650 metres above sea level, there can be snow in winter, while maximum summer temperatures average in the mid twenties.  The crisp, clean air and sweet water from mountain streams in this vast wilderness area contribute to an environment that is, if challenging, certainly rewarding.

Transverse section showing position of the HEROLD vineyards

Vineyards
A variety of Dijon clones of Pinot Noir as well as 5000 Sauvignon Blanc vines were planted to assess which would perform best. The first 2 hectares were close-planted (1m rows) with
12 000 Pinot Noir vines, following the Burgundian approach. Since practical problems regarding vineyard maintenance presented themselves, subsequent vineyards were planted to allow for a small tractor to pass between the rows. (Time will tell if the close-planting has any significant impact on the quality of the wine, given the struggle imposed on the vines.)

Struggle has been a theme in many aspects of this pioneering venture, remote from other wine farms and surrounded by vast areas of Cape mountain fynbos. The six full-time farm workers were novices to viticulture and all concerned have experienced the ups and downs of contending with baboons, bush pigs and large populations of fruit-eating birds that relish the ripening harvests. Besides all this, there is the threat of mildew to combat, given the summer rainfall pattern.
The Chandler/Harpur families are naturalists at heart and strive to work with nature wherever possible - so electric fencing keeps the baboons' movements under check and netting the vineyards seems the only way ahead regarding the problem of birds.

Herold's maiden vintage Pinot Noir of 2003 and 3 subsequent vintages hold great promise for a region yet to be fully discovered and potentially very favourably suited in climate and terroir to the production of fine South African wines. Good things come slowly. The existence of Herold Wines today is the realisation of a dream and, though modest in size as a wine farm, it begs to be seen and appreciated - both the wine and the very valley in the Outeniquas from which it comes.