Top image: Lizelle Gerber, cellar-master

While newly appointed Lizelle Gerber may be fresh-faced at Nederburg, her many years of experience have certainly prepared her for her important role as this award-winning winery’s cellar-master. With 2020 marking her first harvest at Nederburg, Lizelle is all smiles, speaking confidently about her busy time so far.

“We started harvesting on the 9th of January, coincidently with both the noble varieties used for the production of our Cap Classique base wines, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.”

According to Nederburg’s viticulturist, Isabel Teubes, the early winter of 2019 provided much-needed relief to the drought with early rainfall that was better than expected. There was a lot of wind at the end of October and November, leading to less than optimal fruit set, especially in later cultivars. Thankfully, a cool November and December led to good, even grape growth, which was quite vigorous. The current trend shows that the white grapes such as Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc coming into the cellar have good weight ratios.

“For me, the most crucial factors for the production of premium wines are always quality grapes and hygiene. Mother Nature has blessed us with great quality fruit, sourced from across coastal winegrowing areas. We, as winemakers, are merely the tools converting this wonderful gift to liquid art. I am a firm believer that if you treat your grapes with respect and nurture it, it always gives back in abundance,” Lizelle explains.

We wish our talented team all the best with a busy, exciting and rewarding Harvest 2020!