We chat with a cellar each month about their business, what makes them lie awake at night and what gives them hope “Being more sustainable requires an attitude of sometimes admitting that you may have been wrong in the past and being willing to improve. We are going to make mistakes along our sustainability journey, but the intention will always be to do good,” says Paul Clüver Jnr, MD of Paul Clüver Wines.
1. Tell us more about Paul Clüver Wines?
Paul Clüver Wines is a fourth-generation family business that was established in 1896. The farm lies in the cool climate Elgin Valley, surrounded by South Africa’s first biosphere reserve, the UNESCO-accredited Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve. We have 75 hectares under wine grape vineyards, but also farm with apples and pears and have a Hereford Stud and various tourist activities.
We view ourselves as a pioneering family specialising in producing world class Chardonnay and Pinot Noir of Elgin appellation and dedicated to continuous improvement. As such, our typical consumers are lovers of elegant, classical, cool climate wines – especially our Chardonnay and Pinot Noir – and those who enjoy a Sauvignon Blanc with rounder fuller mouth feel, with less grass, capsicum and more tropical notes.
Our Seven Flags Range is for the discerning collector, our Estate Range is for the romantic, the foody, the discerning wine drinker and for those looking to make any occasion more memorable. Finally, our Village range is for the consumer who is passionate about drinking wine daily, and includes Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Riesling. We export 40% of our wines and sell 60% locally.
2. Sustainability is a big driving force in your business. What does “sustainability” mean to you, and how do you make it a part of your daily activities?
We focus on producing world-class fruit and wines that reflect the uniqueness of the Elgin valley, but more specifically of De Rust Estate, while being mindful of the effect our actions have on both on the environment and on our community. We live out our sustainability principles through various social and environmental initiatives, as well as sustainable water management practices and by addressing climate change.
Most of Paul Clüver’s farm workers live in De Rust Village on the farm, which has a large community space in the centre of the village, including a community hall and a church. The village is also at the forefront of the Thandi project, one of the first black economic empowerment initiatives in South Africa, enabling workers to own their own orchards. More than 60 years ago Gertrude Clüver also established a farm school on the estate, which with support from the local community has grown from only 23 learners to more than 1 000 today. De Rust Futura Academy is now a formal Western Cape Department of Education School, which includes an ECD crèche, Grade R to 12 and aftercare centre where learners receive daily meals. The school has a strong agricultural focus, including establishing, maintaining and selling fresh produce.
We have been using solar panels since 2015 to reduce our grid electricity consumption and were one of the first farms in South Africa to pilot Integrated Pest Management, which includes, among others, managing insects without pesticides where possible. Around 60 of the 2 400 ha farm is under conservation, and apart from the estate being part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve, we have been involved in various conservation initiatives, including being a WWF Conservation Champion since 2008. We have planted more than 800 endemic trees, are actively involved in removing invasive alien plants and have created ecological corridors that run between the farm and the mountain.