As we sip and savor the wines of the Cape, it’s easy to forget the stories behind each bottle. One of those remarkable tales comes from the heart of Robertson at the historic De Wetshof Estate, where the 2025 harvest has just wrapped up. And what a season it has been!
A Vintage Forged by Resilience and Expertise
The 2025 growing season wasn’t without its challenges—cooler weather and unseasonal rain in late August and early September put vineyards to the test. But at De Wetshof, thanks to meticulous vineyard management and deep-rooted expertise, the team managed to bring in a healthy and promising crop. CEO Johann de Wet emphasized how good vineyard health and site selection allowed their grapes to bounce back after the late rainfall, resulting in fruit of excellent quality.
While harvest volumes are slightly lower than usual, the quality is expected to be exceptional, particularly for Chardonnay, a variety De Wetshof is famously known for. The grapes have shown intense flavor development thanks to cooler-than-average daytime temps and classic Cape winemaking conditions—warm days and cold nights.
Chardonnay Shines Once Again
De Wetshof is synonymous with world-class Chardonnay, and this year’s vintage is poised to continue that legacy. The estate’s terroir—famed for producing site-specific Chardonnays—has delivered grapes of beautiful balance and elegance. With cool ripening conditions, enhanced acidity, and careful canopy management, the wines from 2025 are expected to showcase both freshness and complexity.
The Estate’s “Great Guns”: A Peek into South African Wine Heritage
The harvest also offered a chance to reflect on De Wetshof’s deeper story, including a fascinating piece of wine heritage on display at the estate: a pair of old naval cannons. These are no ordinary relics—they’re thought to have originated from the Dutch East India Company (VOC), and were part of South Africa’s early colonial defenses.
Discovered buried near Gordon’s Bay, these cannons were recovered from a Dutch ship that sank in the early 1700s. One of them, a 4.2m-long muzzleloader with a bore of 17cm, could fire 10kg cannonballs with impressive range and precision. These cannons now proudly stand at the entrance to De Wetshof, guarding not a fort—but the treasures of a vineyard.
Why This Matters
For those seeking premium South African wines, De Wetshof’s 2025 vintage represents a beautiful opportunity: a lower-yield but higher-quality harvest shaped by experience, sustainability, and passion. Chardonnay lovers, in particular, should keep an eye on these bottles—they promise the kind of structure, minerality, and elegance that discerning consumers crave.
And for those seeking storytelling wines—bottles with rich heritage and local flavor—De Wetshof delivers both in the glass and beyond it.
