2020 | The Drift Estate | Year of the Rooster

Producer Information

Embraced by a mind-blowing biodiversity of indigenous plant and animal life, The Drift Estate sits halfway up the southern-most mountain range in South Africa only a few kilometers from the southern oceans. The mountain on which we sit was formed 330 million years ago when Antarctica crashed into ancient Africa. Because of our elevation at the southern extremity of the Overberg valley, this area is called The Overberg Highlands. The soil, our bedrock of winemaking dreams, is different from anything else on this planet. It has been formed over the last 330 million years and is a unique mix of uplifted sandstone, decomposed granite and limestone, kneaded by time into the original African silica, iron-rich clay and shale. Our weather further differentiates the estate. At altitude, so far south, the cold, ocean-borne winds scour our slopes and batter our vines, encouraging tiny, mightily concentrated berries. These in turn lead to unique, delicious wines. We also farm in a politically charged environment where many South Africans, through a legacy of colonialism, slavery and apartheid (and more recently) government incompetence and corruption do not have access to land ownership. As a result, there is a strong desire for land to be confiscated without compensation and given to those disadvantaged prior to 1994. At the last ANC conference in December 2017 it was agreed that confiscation of land in this way should be an adopted national policy. The cynical and corrupt alike are rubbing their hands. But perhaps most determining of all is our business environment. The Drift Estate is an African farm – one without any tangible government support or subsidy. While we also harvest our own organic vegetables, olive oil and honey, our primary focus is crafting and selling very special wine, made in tiny volumes. Somehow it works. I believe we are successful because we choose great partners and because we view our end consumer of our estate wine as one of our tribe. Ultimately this project is an education in generational thinking. It’s a family focus. Sometimes, it’s a frank reflection of personal failure. But the mistakes and disappointments are only the slippery steps up a beautiful mountain slope. This is farming, after all. When you pause for breath and look around at the view, the stumbling is forgotten. You realise you are still going forward and upward for all the right reasons. What a privilege. Your eyes and nose and lungs are flooded with freshness and this seeps into your soul. Your weariness disappears. You feel more. You sense more. You can’t help smiling, and it starts in your heart. Life, and this clamorous endeavour called living, are put into perspective.

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