Organic, meaning relating to or derived from living matter, is not only the ‘cool kid on the block but also the wiser choice for future generations.
With products being organic and more health conscious, eliminating harmful pesticides and products in the manufacturing procedure is by far the better and healthier choice for us all.
Our Estate has been working organically, in both the vineyard and cellar, for 20 years and has shaped our thinking more deeply regarding how we farm and the thinking and action plan behind each vintage and the steps we take in producing the very best wines, true to Mother Nature.
So what does it mean to us at Springfontein to be organic both in the vineyard and in the cellar?
In the vineyard:
- to engage in viticulture practices in service of life, i.e. to not use harmful chemical pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides,
- to use a natural process to strengthen the health of our limestone maritime soil, such as the use of cover crops,
- to strive to go above organic specific practices and beyond the current mainstream agricultural standards,
- to be a part of an agroecological movement aiming to increase the earth’s resilience to climate change
- to have our own monopole appellation- Springfontein Rim
In the cellar:
- to respect what Mother Nature gives us by naturally enhancing and elevating already existing elements
- to be able to identify natural components responsible for creating complexity and structure i.e. not having to add additives or any grape derived synthetic products
- to strive to only use naturally found yeasts and micro-organisms to ferment and assist wines into their final product
- to allow the wine to evolve naturally and to change into its destine being, naturally and without human intervention
The cellar uses minimal sulphur interventions and no added phenolic enhancers meaning that the vigneron team need to work double time when it comes to extraction and processing. Processes such as extended macerations, cold soaking and enzymatic extracellular fermentations are the forerunners at helping with our organic extractions.
With the mentality of staying organic and being as environmentally friendly as possible we hand harvest to decrease carbon emissions. Our wines are also not filtered to try and keep as much of the organic aromatics we get from our wild yeast and organically respected terroir as possible. Our motto is that we do not make wines, we guide them, walking hand in hand with Mother Nature.
