Our philosophy is simple: success begins in the vineyards. Exceptional wines are made possible by selecting varieties and clones specifically suited to the various soils and slopes, and further careful management of the farm’s extensive natural assets.

This continuous attention to detail culminated in Kleine Zalze achieving new heights in 2020 and being named Top Performing Winery of the Year by Platter’s South African wine guide, arguably the most comprehensive guide to South African wine in the world.

Located on a variety of slopes, soils and aspects, the vineyards that bear the fruit for the Kleine Zalze range of wines are exposed to fresh ocean breezes from the Atlantic coast, which lies a mere 15km away. This cool climate yields delicate flavours whilst at the same time providing optimal growing and ripening conditions for our fruit.

Fruit is sourced from the 120ha of vines planted on our estate, with the remainder coming from long term contracts, giving control from vine to bottle. Viticulturists Anel Botha and Henning Retief provide the foundation for our prize-winning wine portfolio, ensuring grapes of exceptional quality by employing viticultural techniques that focus on sustainability.

Their decisions, such as vine row planting direction, trellising and the height of vines above the ground, as well as the shape and density of leaf canopies all impact on the quality of fruit delivered to the cellar. Extensive yield reduction is also carried out to produce the best quality, fruit driven wines with outstanding character and maturation potential.