VINEYARDS
The Protea Heights vineyards were established in 2009 and 2010, with high density plantings ranging from 5,600 – 10,100 vines per hectare. They are positioned primarily on cooler south to southeast facing slopes, at an altitude ranging from 200 to 250 meters above sea level. Cooling afternoon breezes from False Bay provide natural air conditioning for the vineyards during the warm summer months, cooling the temperatures by an average 10+ degrees. The vineyards were converted to organic farming practices in 2014.
South Africa boasts some of the oldest viticultural soils in the world, with an incredible diversity of soil types, often within small areas. On Protea Heights, our vineyard soils are predominantly Oakleaf and Tukulu, both forms of decomposed granite with high clay content. We also have pockets of Dresden, a sandstone-derived soil, characterized by sandy clay loams, and Vilafonte, a gravelly soil derived from shale.
FARMING PRACTICES
On Protea Heights Farm, home of Botanica Wines, we are committed to the principles of regenerative agriculture, a next generation system of organic farming that increases soil fertility, builds biodiversity, improves soil’s water holding capacity and enhances our ecosystem to support healthy vineyards and fields. Key to this agroecological approach is no-till farming, a practice which aims to capture carbon in the soil and aboveground biomass, reversing current trends of atmospheric accumulation in an effort to slow climate change. At the same time, it offers increased yields, reduced disease pressure, greater resilience to drought and climate instability, and higher health and vitality for soils.
