For those visitors to our website who are interested in our history and what we are doing under the Sybasberg mountain peak, we have prepared the below discussions. But first, we would like to explain we are a bicultural and bilingual farming company. While our General Manager, Anton Roos, and his wife, Franci, are bilingual, their primary language and culture is Afrikaans. We farm in Afrikaans and occasionally some Xhosa, the dialect of the principal Black tribe of the Eastern and Western Capes, because those are the languages of our workers. Today most Afrikaners are descendants of Dutch, French, and German immigrants who intermarried like most Western European immigrants to the US did. Most significantly, however, starting in 1652, the Dutch colonized the Cape, so Dutch became the principal language of the white settlers. In the early 1800s, the British defeated Napoleon of France and their Dutch allies and took over the Dutch colonies in South Africa, but 150 years of Dutch prevailed alongside English. (Afrikaans is simplified, archaic Dutch, with English and African tribal words finding their way in as well, much as Swahili is largely Arabic, with a great many African words.)

Modern wine grape farming in the Western Cape really requires most managers be equally proficient in English and Afrikaans. Accordingly, since we know that many of our local industry associates will visit the SILKBUSH website from time to time, we intend to include this discussion of farming operations in both languages. The English version will be more generic/historic, whereas the Afrikaans section will chiefly be more technical as we respond to the needs of local wineries, suppliers, the teaching universities, and various regulatory organizations. Those who are proficient in both languages clearly will be at advantage, but such is the world today.

Overview

SILKBUSH Mountain Vineyards (or “SILKBUSH”) is a 138-hectare (341acre) property acquired on February 3, 2000 from the Pepe Valente family from Pretoria. Property acquisition was completed after six years of extensive investigations of the Cape Winelands, which has now included 23 two to four week trips to the Beloved Country by Dave Jefferson, and two other Burdell senior managers. Removal of most of the existing vineyards and all fruit trees was completed and development continued over seven years as the property was largely replanted to noble red grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz, and Pinotage, but also some Petit Verdot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Viognier, and Sauvignon Blanc, as well.

Initially, the production is being sold to independent wineries; for example, the 2008 harvest of over 1,250 tons was sold to four wineries. However, the longer term objective is to have a substantial majority of the grapes made into wine with six or more wineries in joint venture or contractual (private or proprietary label) arrangements with SILKBUSH Vineyards. For reference, “SILKBUSH” is also the South African company that Burdell Properties (a CA corporation) and Anton Roos, a local South African vineyard manager, organized to acquire, redevelop, and sell grapes locally and to produce wine for export. We are keen to have our grapes soon label identified as Silkbush Mountain Vineyards as the Vineyard Designate source for our partner wineries. This is common practice among top many producers in the US and is now legal for the first time in the South African wine industry.

The Vineyard Property

Prior to acquisition, 33 hectares (Ha) of the almost 90 plantable Ha were in permanent crops: grapes, apricots, peaches, pears, and nectarines. (This area of South Africa is also famous for its fruit, and much of it is exported to Europe.) Except for 4.3 Ha of grapes that we will retain permanently, the rest of the existing vines and trees were replaced by a program of replanting over seven years. We are holding off re-planting a final Hectare to determine which of our varieties has the greatest demand and which appears to be producing the most stellar fruit. But by 2008 total acreage under vine was almost 89 Ha. (See breakdown below.) By the 9th year, annual grape production could exceed 1,300 metric tons per year. This should yield at least 100,000 cases of high quality red and white wine produced by perhaps six wineries. [For reference, one hectare = 2.471 acres, and a metric ton is 10% greater than an English (2,000 pound) ton.]

Labor Housing

Historically, agricultural labor families were housed in marginal conditions “rent free” on the farms and paid very poorly. The husbands had year-round salaries that the wives and teenagers supplemented by working for daily wages during pruning and harvest. The farmers owned the labor cottages and retirement of one generation often meant eviction of the elderly or construction of ever more farm housing. In the new South Africa, this is not an acceptable situation: more enlightened growers are working to provide higher wages and worker-owned housing not on the farm property. We are paying increased wages, have improved the on-site cottages, and arranged for daily transportation of additional labor from local communities to the vineyard. We presently employ seven full time laborers, four wives who work for daily rates on pruning and harvest details and substantially more temporary workers for pruning and harvest. Accordingly, we intend to help our best workers acquire or build their own homes in local communities once we have attained full crop maturity.

At present there are seven laborer units (in five cottages including a new triplex constructed in 2006) on the property that were electrified for the first time under our ownership. These improvements, not insignificant in cost, required the local electrical utility installing additional power poles and transformers at our expense. The power is also supplied free to the worker families. We trust being able to read at night will contribute to improved literacy of our staff and their children.

The present manager’s house is at the property’s entrance. Anton, Franci, and their three young boys moved into the former manager’s house in May 2001 after extensive renovation.

Farm Labor

Agricultural labor has been a controversial issue in South Africa for many years. In the Western Cape, the 75% "Brown" majority population, historically known as Cape Coloureds but without the pejorative implications of a similar US term for African Americans from an earlier period, provides over 90%+ of the vineyard labor force. The Browns are a small stature, mulatto people, proud descendents of indigenous San and Koi-Koi tribes coupling for 150 years with former Malay slaves, Dutch East Indies Company sailors and early European settlers and missionaries. They constitute the dominant majority population of the Western Cape, speak Afrikaans as their principal language, and often resent the Black tribes that compose the majority population of the other provinces of South Africa. Accordingly, most direct farm management must be accomplished in Afrikaans. Not surprisingly, virtually all European descent (white) grape farmers culturally choose to speak Afrikaans but most are reasonably proficient in English as well.

Historically Black South Africans have had a very small involvement in the Cape wine industry, constitute about 10% of the local Cape population, speak their tribal languages, but far prefer English to Afrikaans as a second language. Most Black involvement in the vineyard industry has been as day laborers during the intense harvest periods. Very few live on farms but rather at harvest are trucked in from urban informal settlements. That understood, our permanent crew is about 50% Black and 50% Brown, and Anton is pleased with the attitude and cooperation of all our workers.

The permanent farming crew Anton supervises is comprised of seven men, and four women, who reside in the seven worker units on SILKBUSH. We also have another 12-14 men who work for us on a “permanent part-time” basis who live in Wolseley, a rural village about 17 minutes away. We have a team of very motivated people who, including an annual bonus, are paid above average for the area, and some of whom are resident in farm housing in far better condition than anything in which they have lived before. Our people are salaried, work 45 hours a week on average, nine hours per day for five days, and receive three weeks of paid vacation per year, and numerous national holidays. Little things can also mean a lot: most farms issue their workers one new set of uniform coveralls per year but we give out a new set every six months. True, we are incurring modest labor costs by a US standard, but we are also paid far less for our grapes than in the US. We all are proud of our local labor practices. SILKBUSH is more than doing its part in the “new South Africa.”

Silkbush Mountain Vineyards Pty Ltd, is in Desember 1999 gestig. Die wingerde is geleë aan die voet van die Mostertshoek berge in die Breërivier area (±40km Noordwes van Worcester). Die wingerde is aangeplant op hoofsaaklik Noordelike en Noordwestelike hellings tussen 400 en 700 meter bo seespieël.

Die plaas.

Die plaas leen hom uistekend tot die produksie van top kwaliteit rooi druiwe. Die gronde bestaan hoofsaaklik uit verweerde skalie gronde en baie klipperige alluviale gronde nader aan die rivier (in die minderheid).

Sedert Februarie 2000 is die hele plaas onderwerp aan ‘n intensiewe hernuwings program. In totaal het net 4 ha van vorige aanplantings oorgebly, en is 83 ha nuwe wingerde aangeplant. Cultivars sluit in Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot, Pinotage, Petit Vedot, Malbec, Cabernet franc, Mourvedre, Semillon, Sauvignon blanc en Viognier.  ‘n Verskeidenheid van klone is aangeplant om meer diversiteit te bewerkstellig, en om by die grondtipes aan te pas.

Water vir besproeiing is afkomstig uit twee damme wat in die winter uit afloop water volgemaak word, asook vier boorgate. Ongeveer 80 % van die wingerde word onder gravitasie besproei. Drupbesproeiing is in alle wingerde geïnstalleer.

Bestuurspraktyke.

Die nuutste tegnologie word deurentyd ingespan, ten einde beskikbare hulpbronne optimaal te benut. Die hoof doelwit is om die beste moontlike druiwe te produseer met die minste moontlike inmenging en manipulasie.

Besproeiing word met behulp van ‘n neutronvogmeter en weerstasie geskeduleer, en slegs aanvullende besproeiing is in piek tye nodig. Daar is 82 vogmetingspunte in totaal, wat akkurate besproeiing vergemaklik.

Bespuitings vir witroes en donskimmel word met die hulp van ‘n weerstasie beplan en uitgevoer, ten einde minimum gifstowwe op die regte tydstip toe te dien. IPW voorskrifte word streng nagevolg, en die nuutste sagteware programme word gebruik om rekord te hou van alle praktyke.

Silkbush Mountain Vineyards is ook ‘n lid van die Biodiveristeit In Wyn inisiatief, wat gefokus is op die bewaring van natuurlike habitat in die omgewing.  ± 30 ha is vir die doel opsy gesit, wat dan later aan Silkbush kampioen status kan gee mbt BWI. Handhawing en bewaring van ons natuurlike plantegroei en dierelewe is vir Silkbush baie belangrik en het die plaas ook ‘n deulopende program om uitheemse bosse en bome uit te roei.

Bestuurspan en sleutelpersone.

Silkbush Mountain Vineyards Pty Ltd, word besit deur 15 aandeelhouers waarvan die oorgrote meerderheid Amerikaners is. Daar is drie direkteure nl.:

Dave Jefferson (aandeelhouer), Stanford M.B.A., sakeman en wingerdeienaar in California. Dave het Suid Afrika reeds verskeie male besoek en ken die hele Kaapse wynbedryf baie goed. Saam met Anton Roos het hy Silkbush Mountain Vineyards gestig en is verantwoordelik vir aandeelhouersbelange, belegger werwing en bemarking van Silkbush Mountain Vineyards oor die algemeen.

Anton Roos (aandeelhouer), B.Sc. Agric (Wingerd en Wynbou), algemene bestuurder. Anton was vir ongeveer 4 jaar werksaam by Vinpro SA as wingerdboukonsultant in die Worcester area. Dit is dan ook hier waar hy vir Dave ontmoet het tydens konsultasie werk vir Beringer Wines, en Silkbush Vineyards se potensiaal raakgesien het. In 1999 het hy as Algemene Bestuurder vir ‘n groot landgoed in Rawsonville gaan werk. Silkbush het in laat 1999 na 2 jaar se harde werk begin gestalte kry en vanaf 2001 is hy voltyds op Silkbush MountainVineyards en verantwoordelik vir alle aspekte van die besigheid.

Dr. Philip Spies was oor die afgelope 12 iaar betrokke by verskillende aspekte van strategiese beplanning in die Suid-Afrikaanse wynbedryf - onder andere as projekleier van die Visie2020 strategie vir die wynbedryf en projekleier van die SA Wine Industry Foresight projek. As Professor en Uitvoerende Direkteur van die Instituut vir Toekomsnavorsing (ITN) aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch was hy tot en met 1996 vir 17 jaar lank verantwoordelik vir strategiese inligtingsdienste aan ongeveer 60 van Suid-Afrika se grootste maatskappye en staatsdepartemente. Voordat Philip by die ITN aangesluit het was hy vir nege jaar Senior Lektor in Landbou-ekonomie aan dieselfde universiteit en vir vier jaar ekonoom by die Departement van Landbou. Philip het `n M.Sc in Landbou (Cum Laude) in 1967 aan die Universiteit Stellenbosch verwerf en `n Ph.D in ekonomie aan die Iowa State University in die VSA in 1973.

Produksie en Afset.

Silkbush Mountain Vineyards het in 2008 1280 ton druiwe geoes. Hierdie syfer sal groei na ongeveer 1350 ton in 2010.

Silkbush Mountain Vineyards wil aan vyf tot ses kopers lewer op ‘n langtermynbasis. Enkel wingerd status op etikette is vir ons belangrik en daarom stel Silkbush Mountain Vineyards ook belang in gesamentlike projekte met potensiële kopers. Dave Jefferson is besig met die stigting van ‘n wyninvoer maatskappy, ten einde Suid Afrikaanse wyne (en later Silkbush wyne) na Amerika uit te voer.

Huidige kopers is Flagstone (Constellation), Overhex Private Cellar, Wagenboom Wynkelder, Spier Wines. Silkbush is ook die alleen verskaffer van Pinotage vir die Writer’s Block etiket van Flagstone sedert 2006. 

Silkbush Mountain Vineyards is groot genoeg om in kwantiteit te kan voorsien, gespesialiseerd genoeg om op top-kwaliteit rooidruifproduksie te fokus, en beskik oor ‘n toegewyde bestuurspan wat die beste tegnologie aanwend om die plaas se ligging, terroir en gronde optimaal te benut.

In 2007 is ook begin met ‘n omgewingsimpakstudie en hersoneringsaansoeke vir die bou van ‘n kelder op die plaas.  Die aansoek is in die finale stadium en behoort teen einde Junie 2008 goedgekeur te wees.  Die kelder sal ontwerp word om ongeveer die helfte van Silkbush se produksie te hanteer.