Gabrielskloof

09/10/2026

06/10/2026

Suckering season: Dean and the team have been walking the rows, pulling off the little shoots that grow from the trunk and base of the vines. If left, these will not carry a bunch of grapes, but will take a share of the vine’s energy and crowd the canopy. Clear them out and there’s more air and sun around the fruit, so less mildew and more even ripening.

30/09/2026

The story of Gabriëlskloof.

22/09/2026

Out in the vineyard with Dean this week, watching the vines wake up for the new season.

We can definitely feel, and see, the weather changing quickly on the farm. Not quite sure how it’s all going to go just yet, but things are looking good so far.

18/09/2026

Spring afternoons on the farm move slowly, and that’s rather the point. The trees are coming into blossom, the birds won’t stop talking about it, and there’s nowhere better to sit and take it in than our stoep. Work your way through our ranges - the Intro Tasting, or the Deep Dive if you’ve got the time for it - then order a platter and stay longer than you meant to. On your way out, pick up a bottle or a case of your favourites to take home.

15/09/2026

Three purple flowers on the farm this spring. One we planted. One we’re stuck with. One was always here.

Same colour, completely different job in the vineyard.

This is vetch, planted as a cover crop between our vines. Its purple flowers are a good sign - the roots are fixing nitrogen and protecting the soil. The one purple flower here that we actually planted on purpose.

The second purple flower tells a different story.

This is Echium plantagineum L., also known as Paterson’s curse or Pers Echium. It was originally brought to South Africa as an ornamental and has since spread across the Western Cape as an invasive w**d. It’s toxic to grazing animals, particularly horses, and out-competes other plants for water, light and space. We’re not fans.

The third looks like soft lavender from far away. Up close, it’s pure armour.

This is Muraltia heisteria - spiky purple gorse, persblommetjie, or kastybos. A rigid, prickly little shrub that grows here entirely on its own. Of the three, it’s the only one that actually belongs here. So spiky! It protects itself and needs no intervention to thrive.

11/09/2026

Tim Atkin’s 2026 report is out, and our Landscape and Projects w**es scored 93 points or higher across the board, with Oxalis, Elodie and Syrah on Shale leading at 94.

It’s a strong year for South African w**e more broadly, and we’re proud to be part of that story from this corner of Bot River. Every score starts in the vineyard.

09/09/2026

Along the rows, the vines are waking up. Budbreak is underway, with the swollen buds splitting to reveal the soft green growth that spent winter tucked inside.

Look closely through the carousel and you’ll spot the very first inflorescences, the miniature clusters that will eventually become this season’s bunch. Right now it looks more like a tiny green fist than anything resembling a grape. Between now and flowering, each of these clusters will unfurl into a hundred or more small flowers. Once pollinated, every flower has the potential to become a single berry, which is where fruit set gets its name.

Farm Manager Dean Leppan says it’s still too early to call whether budbreak will be even across the blocks this year. What happens between now and fruit set matters more. Mild, settled conditions over the coming weeks give the vines the best chance at a uniform, healthy start.

Next on the calendar: suckering, when the team moves through by hand to remove unwanted shoots so the vine puts its energy into the growth that counts.

07/09/2026

HERITAGE DAY / BRAAI DAY AT THE KITCHEN DOOR

Thursday, 24 September

Heritage Day means one thing round here: Chef Tabish, Jen and the team firing up the braai and opening the doors for a proper celebration. We’ve turned today’s photos into a bit of a game while we’re at it.

There are some things that are simply part of being South African. A braai is one of them. There are plenty of others, and we’ve hidden six of them somewhere across this carousel. Find all six and send us a DM with the list - you could win Braai Day lunch for you and three friends, on us.

Entries close Tuesday, 22 September at 12pm. Winner announced in our Stories on Wednesday, 23 September.

On the menu for 24 September:
R295pp gets you a shisanyama-style Karoo lamb chop, a peri-lemon buttermilk chicken sosatie, crispy pap balls with chakalaka, your pick of eight sides(think delicious potato salad and charred corn coleslaw), and a wood-fired malva pudding to finish. (Add Chef Tabish’s home-brewed ginger umqombothi for R25!)

Full menu and bookings via The Kitchen Door’s Dineplan, link in bio.