www.waterfordestate.co.za

KEVIN ARNOLDManaging Partner & Cel larmaster

MARK LE ROUXWinemaker

DAVID VAN SCHALKWYKFarm Manager & Vit icultur ist

The Waterford Way is to flow with nature’s cycles and to farm in an environmental ly responsible way that protects the

indigenous flora and fauna on the estate.

Waterford Estate stretches over 120Ha of magnificent land in the Blaauwkl ippen Val ley. Only 50Ha of the estate is under v ine;

the rest is kept as natural as possible .

This is done del iberately to protect the environment and to al low for a future in which the estate continues to produce

world-class wines that truly express our terroir .

“We keep things s imple, both ins ide and outs ide of the cel lar ,” says David. “We try to interfere as l i t t le as possible , a l lowing

nature to do i ts job. In this way, our wines a lso have the best chance of truly reflect ing Waterford’s unique environment.” But ,

adds Mark, interfer ing as l i t t le as possible doesn’t mean the team gets to go on hol iday more often! “Finding ways to improve

or maintain wine qual i ty without manipulat ion is an art ,” says the winemaker .

INTRODUCTION

The farm workers at Waterford Estate have launched several projects , a imed at protect ing the natural environment. For example, every year

the team replaces al ien vegetat ion with 100-150 indigenous trees. They make their own compost and use natural methods to protect the vines

from animals (such as using dog hair to scare o� deer) .

In dry years , the team makes use of dr ip i rr igat ion, drast ical ly cutt ing the winery’s water usage. This strategy proved to be incredibly e�ect ive

in 2017 and 2018, when the region’s wine production was dramatical ly impacted by a severe drought . Whi lst other winer ies recorded low

harvests , Waterford’s Cabernet Sauvignon harvest was up by 23%. The other var ietals a lso yie lded remarkable results . “This just shows how the

extreme drought has had very l i t t le e�ect on the vineyard, i t can survive the toughest condit ions,” says Mark.

David adds that with the help of sustainabi l i ty pract ices , the team cult ivates stronger , healthier v ines. By keeping the soi ls healthy, the plants

develop strong root systems that enable them to survive extreme weather condit ions.

NATURE & AGRICULTUREOUR PHILOSOPHY – THE WATERFORD WAY

Waterford Estate is s i tuated in the picturesque Blaauwkl ippen Val ley, in the world-renowned Stel lenbosch

region. At Waterford Estate, we used only half of the land for the plant ing of v ines, in order to preserve

and maintain the natural fauna and flora on the Estate.

At Waterford Estate, we wish to explore al l the senses– s ight , smel l , sound, touch and taste, in order for our

guests to experience what is ins ide and outs ide the bott le . We cal l th is the Waterford Way.

WASTE WATER MANAGEMENT

The water used in the cel lar dur ing the production process is recycled through our delta separat ion system and is stored in a dam in

front of the winery. This water is then used to i rr igate the lawns surrounding the tast ing room. The aesthet ic sprayers add oxygen

back into the e�uent water , whi le a float ing is land of plants c leans the water .

RESTORING & MAINTAINING THREATENED

ECOSYSTEMS

At Waterford Estate we aim to remove and replace as many

al ien plant species as possible each year . Present ly , we are

removing 100 al ien species annual ly and replacing these

plants with indigenous trees that are approved by the World

Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

The vineyard management team work di l igent ly to rehabi l i tate

land that may have been disturbed by human act iv ity . This

a l lows the environment to evolve natural ly .

WATERFORD ESTATE SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES

WATERFORD ESTATE SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES

RESTORING & MAINTAINING THREATENED ECOSYSTEMS

Waterford Estate is home to two Blue Cranes – the nat ional bird of South Afr ica. The Blue Crane is considered to be a threatened

species in South Afr ica. Our team introduced a breeding area near our main storage dam to assist in the protect ion of threatened

eco systems. This a l lows several bird species to breed in a secure environment.

WATERFORD ESTATE SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES

WATERFORD ESTATE SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES

REMOVAL OF ALIEN VEGETATION

Alien species are ident ified with the help of the Biodivers ity and Wine In it iat ive (BWI) This is a partnership that exists between the

South Afr ican wine industry and the conservat ion sector that encourages sustainable farming in it iat ives .

These trees are removed and then replaced with indigenous plant species . In addit ion, organic matter is reused to suppress weeds,

regulate soi l temperature and retain moisture.

Natural mechanisms are implemented to el iminate pests . This involves releasing natural predators , that res ide in the area to

el iminate pests that may be harmful to the vineyards.

Vines are careful ly sprayed with Tr ichiderma, a natural bacter ia that is used to seal wounds dur ing pruning. Dog hair is sourced

from local dog groomers to protect v ineyards by warding o� deer in the area.

RELEASING NATURAL PREDATORS

WATERFORD ESTATE SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES

COMPOST

We create natural compost and fert i l izers on the estate, us ing natural mater ia ls . This is created from grape skins ,

seeds, stems, as wel l as many other waste mater ia l f rom the property.

Cover crops are planted to enhance the fert i l i ty of the

soi l and nutr ient level , whi lst enr iching the structure.  

This ensures that the root systems serve as channels for

water penetrat ion.

ALL COVER CROPS

ALL COVER CROPS

These pictures showcase the turnip cover crops in the vineyard.

The vineyard team, rol l ing the cover crop in order to keep the moisture in the soi l and put organic matter back into the soi l .

THE DROUGHT

We use a dr ip system for i rr igat ion to ensure that we use water e�cient ly .

Our winemaker and vit icultur ist carr ied out a study to optimise our i rr igat ion process.

BARREL ROOM

Our Barrel Room is known as The Cathedral and contains over 1400 French Oak barrels . The Cathedral was designed with a specific feature

to ensure temperature regulat ion. Under each row of barrels , a part of the earth is exposed. This regulates the temperature of the room to

the optimal level dur ing the winter months.

WATERFORD ESTATE SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES

RECYCLING

We have placed emphasis on recycl ing at Waterford Estate in an e�ort to reduce our carbon footpr int . Al l the

glass , plast ic and paper that is used in our tast ing room, and dur ing the production process, is sent to a recycl ing

depot. This process reduces the amount of waste that is sent to landfil l .

WATERFORD ESTATE SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES

The Wine Drive Safar i is a guided tour of the Estate on the beauti fu l s lopes of the Helderberg mountain . This

experience al lows guests to taste our award-winning wines in the vineyards of their or igin . Vis itors are expert ly

guided through al l the aspects of what makes this area so biological ly diverse and vit icultural ly unique.

WINE DRIVE SAFARI

We are immensely proud of our locat ion and the r ich divers ity of our indigenous fauna and flora. We have designed three

routes at di�erent levels of intensity , which explore both Vineyards and natural Fynbos. Proceeds from this act iv ity direct ly

contr ibute to the renewal and maintenance of the protected land.

PORCUPINE TRAIL WINE WALK

SUSTAINABILITY ON WINE DRIVE/WINE WALK

We partner with Aquabel la to provide our guests with the most sustainable packaging

and water in the Western Cape."We only use packaging that is fu l ly recyclable . This

includes our bott les ( l ightweight plast ic and glass) , their l ids (a luminium and HDPE

plast ic) , the cardboard cartons, the trays that hold our bott les , the outer plast ic

stretch film around the cartons and trays. We have added the “Please Recycle” logo to

al l of our products in an e�ort to encourage our consumers to recycle . Furthermore,

we recycle mater ia ls left over from the packaging process at our plant in Paar l . "

Our disposable bamboo leaf plates are eco-fr iendly and are 100% organic , compostable .

The forks are made from wood and are sourced from sustainably managed forests .

They are a lso biodegradable, and are housed in a compostable plant starch bag.

The ent ire pack is compostable – and serves our goal of introducing green in it iat ives .

WATERFORD ESTATE & BLUEWATER

Waterford Estate has partnered with Bluewater to instal l a pur ificat ion system in the tast ing room. This  compact point-of-use water

pur ifier enables the farm to use i ts own water source. Waterford is able to produce and bott le i ts own st i l l and sparkl ing mineral water .

I t is  served in recyclable glass bott les that are reused. This e l iminates the need for s ingle-use plast ic water bott les .

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FARM WORKERS

Sustainabi l i ty of people on the farm – mentorship program, the creche, the soccer team, the

Helderberg farm kids project

MENTORING FOR SUCCESS

Col leagues are wonderful , but mentors are even

more important . At Waterford Estate, mentorship is

start ing to play a key role in ensur ing the long-term

prosperity of our team.

Producing wine is a physical business: there’s the

growing, picking, sort ing and crushing of the

grapes, and the fermentat ion, bott l ing and label l ing

of the wine. Beneath this layer of hard physical

labour l ies a soft core: the emotional wel lbeing of

the people who grow and produce the wine.

The Waterford Estate brand is bui l t around people,

and great care is taken in nurtur ing each individual employee.

This ensures that team members remain motivated and passionate

and can sometimes be hard work, as Waterford Estate farm man-

ager and vit icultur ist , David van Schalkwyk, discovered.

David spends his days among the farm workers , tending to the

diverse soi ls and vines that make up Waterford Estate.

Waterford Estate has created a structured mentorship programme

which provides an opportunity to help motivate the younger team

members whi le encouraging mentorship ski l ls among the older

generat ion. For David, i t was important to get the farm workers ,

both young and old, excited about their jobs, thus contr ibut ing to

their overal l health and wel lbeing.

When David crossed paths with Emile Neethl ing, l i fe coach and

founder of the Karmic Group in Somerset-West , Waterford

Estate’s first formal mentorship programme was set in motion. So,

ear ly in 2017, a handful of farm workers started to attending

weekly sessions with their new coach.

“ In it ia l ly , the course was quite int imidat ing, as we al l had to do a

lot of introspect ion,” David recal ls . “Trying to figure out who we

real ly are and where we wanted to be was di�cult , but Emile

helped us to work through these quest ions and to find the

answers for ourselves. The second part of the programme focused

on bui lding relat ionships and becoming mentors to the people in

our l ives . One of the big lessons was real is ing that each one of us

could be a mentor .”

Ronnie and Richard, the two farm workers who just completed the

first programme with David, both found the course incredibly

valuable . “Emile taught me how to be more mature and disci-

pl ined,” Ronnie says. “ In the past , when there was a negative

s ituat ion among the team, I used to just jump in and say what I

wanted to say. However , now I take a di�erent approach.”

For Richard, the course was a wonderful adventure that took him

on a journey of sel f-discovery. “ I usual ly wouldn’t share my deep-

est emotions with others , but I managed to do this dur ing the

course. I learnt that i t ’s important to not just force my opinion

onto others , but to try to step into other people’s shoes and to

first get their perspect ive on things. I real ly learnt how to l isten.”

When asked i f , after the course, Ronnie and Richard found their

jobs more fulfil l ing, Richard is quick to answer: “Absolutely . I used

to be quite tense when coming to work in the morning. Now I ’m

more relaxed. I t ’s a choice I make every day.”

“Waterford Estate is having a posit ive influence on the l ives of

those who are involved at the estate. They’re changing l ives more

than they can imagine,” says coach Emile , adding that the group

of farm workers are k ind, generous people. “They have a passion

for what they do and are, in return, a lways grateful for the oppor-

tunity to be part of this fami ly and happy to work in a car ing

culture.”

CHILD’S PLAY

The newly establ ished Waterford Estate Crèche o�ers wonderful

learning opportunit ies for chi ldren who grow up on the farm.

There’s a str ik ing quote by famous author Jess Lair that reads:

“Chi ldren aren’t things to be moulded, but people to be

unfolded.”

A br ief v is i t to the Waterford Estate crèche – where a handful

of chi ldren go every day to learn a new song or rhyme, to l isten

to a story, and to socia l ise with fr iends – is a l l that ’s required to

remind you of Lair ’s words. Those first lessons real ly do set the

stage for a l i fet ime of learning.

The Waterford Crèche was establ ished in November 2016, after

the school on one of the neighbouring farms had to c lose down

unexpectedly . Alternat ive arrangements had to be made fa ir ly

quickly , and the Waterford team set out to find a s ite on the

farm that would be close to the farm workers ’ homes, yet

spacious enough to o�er the kids enough room to play. A basic

shed with a k itchenette and toi let was erected and, over the

course of 14 months, equipment was added to make the crèche

as comfortable as possible .

The faci l i t ies are s imple, but the k ids who attend the school

have everything they need: from a safe place to c lamber around

under magnificent oak trees, to boxes ful l of books and toys, and a

cool space in which to take a nap after being cleaned and fed.

Significant ly , the crèche’s chi ldren have the pr iv i lege of being cared

for and educated by members of their own close-knit community , in

a sett ing that can only be descr ibed as idyl l ic .

The crèche is a way of support ing the members of the Waterford

fami ly who l ive on the farm, explains Waterford vit icultur ist David

van Schalkwyk, who played a prominent role in sett ing up the

faci l i t ies . “The school makes i t possible for the fami l ies to earn a

dual income,” he says. “Having the kids so close to home also makes

i t easy for parents to drop them o� and pick them up after work, and

even check in on them during the day.”

Seven chi ldren between the ages of five months and four years are

current ly in Aisha and Sannie ’s care. Chanté and Enjay, the crèche’s

two four-year-olds, are confident , inquis it ive pre-schoolers . Both can

write their names, count to 20, recite a str ing of rhymes, and

navigate their way through the jungle gym with ease. There’s no

doubt that , when they transit ion to Grade R next year , they’ l l sett le

in wel l .

Chanté’s mom, Clar ina Pietersen, is fu l l of praise for the school . “ I

real ly l ike the fact that Chanté’s teachers have started teaching her

how to write and count , and we always have a giggle when Chanté

comes home with a cute new song or rhyme.”

For Waterford Estate’s owners , sett ing up the crèche for the farm

workers ’ chi ldren was a s imple decis ion. The Waterford brand is bui l t

around people, and the owners take great care in ensur ing their

employees’ long-term success and prosperity . Making sure that the

chi ldren who grow up on the estate have a strong educat ional

foundation was a natural extension of this phi losophy.

FARMING FOR THE FUTURE

All wines produced at Waterford Estate qual i fy for the Integrity &

Sustainabi l i ty Seal .

Waterford Estate holds an Integrated Production of Wine ( IPW)

cert ificate for i ts sustainable , environmental ly fr iendly production

methods.

Waterford Estate has Wine and Agricultural Ethical Trade

Associat ion (WIETA) accreditat ion (proof that the estate

maintains a high level of good-pract ice standards) .

Waterford Estate is a member of the Biodivers ity in Wine

In it iat ive (BWI) , which means that we’re committed to

environmental ly fr iendly farming pract ices , the eradicat ion of

a l ien vegetat ion, and the promotion of indigenous fynbos.

Waterford Estate is one of 37 wine brands with WWF

Conservat ion Champion status.

WWF INFORMATION

Through a voluntary membership model , WWF works with the environmental leaders in SA's wine industry, known as

the Conservat ion Champions. These landowners commit to biodivers ity-fr iendly farming pract ices , conserve their

natural areas and continual ly improve their water and energy e�ciencies .

Only half of the estate is cult ivated, with the remaining land being made up of r iver ine areas with wi ld ol ive groves and

open land covered with fynbos.

The cult ivated land has been replanted with vines and 27 hectares are set as ide for conservat ion. In restor ing the land,

we have taken down fences to a l low natural migrat ion of buck, caracal and porcupines, and have removed al ien

vegetat ion and demarcated green belt areas.

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WATERFORD ESTATE SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES

SUSTAINABILITY AND COMBATING CLIMATE CHANGE

The Porto Protocol is a sustainabi l i ty in it iat ive which aims to motivate companies and individuals to do more to help the environment.

The Porto Protocol is an open platform, a dynamic database of ideas, a shared resource from which we can al l benefit , whatever our

area of act iv ity around the globe. Through knowledge shar ing i t is our object ive to find solut ions for c l imate change.

On this platform, members of The Porto Protocol can share their case studies : ideas, achievements , experiences and results . Many

companies have worked hard to develop solut ions that they are applying to their businesses, often through hard work and careful

research and it is important to share these experiences to enable us a l l to make a di�erence.

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WATERFORD ESTATE SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES

WATERFORD ESTATE IS COMMITTED TO PORTO PROTOCOL:

We aim to to ident i fy opportunit ies for cooperat ion with other Porto Protocol members.

Waterford Estate executes projects or iented towards the sustainabi l i ty of the organizat ion and part ic ipates in the

in it iat ives promoted by Cl imate Change Leadership Porto to support The Porto Protocol .

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