Travellers on the R44-route between Somerset West and Stellenbosch cannot help but notice the striking entrance, elegant structures, and paddocks of the well-known Cavalli Estate.
Cavalli, the Italian word for “horses”, was founded in 2013 by the late Jerome Smith, who had a passion for the Cape Fauna and Flora. His daughter, Lauren Smith, a qualified architect and experienced equestrian, continues his passion on the estate, which in a short period became well-known for a sophisticated lifestyle experience.
The 100-hectare estate, with views of the Helderberg range in the east and Table Mountain in the west, has 27 hectares under vines and is planted with cultivars such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chenin blanc, Chardonnay, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Shiraz, Viognier, and Verdelho. The remaining portion of the farm consists of indigenous gardens, a fynbos conservation area, and the paddocks, as well as a world-class indoor equestrian facility.
Cavalli Estate is a supporter of sustainable agricultural practices, as well as the conservation of the indigenous endangered Cape vegetation. Sustainable viticulture practices, which are beneficial to both the environment and humans, are part of the Cavalli philosophy.
According to Malie McGregor, winemaker of Cavalli Estate, the estate is in a unique phase of growth and development as demand for the wines is increasing rapidly. With the added pressure, it is essential that employees take responsibility for the quality and efficiency of their work, which consequently creates valuable opportunities for individual growth. It is worth noting that employees tend to excel when handed more responsibility and respond quickly to challenges and successfully solve problems. Therefore, the transfer of knowledge and training play an important role in a busy team.
For example, the vineyard workers at Cavalli received training in cellar techniques to promote versatility, improve efficiency and expand their skills base.
In June 2022, the Winetech Cellar Assistant Information Day was hosted at Cavalli Estate, which sponsored the venue for the event. Malie confirmed that the diverse topics on the programme, such as climate change; cold stabilization of wine; factors affecting wine aroma; the choices we make in the cellar; as well as a presentation on the responsible management of conflict, added value to the participants’ knowledge. According to Malie, there is a great need to learn more about managing staff which is an important but often overlooked topic.
Malie works closely with the cellar team at Cavalli and as a result, knowledge transfer takes place in an informal manner. It is important to the estate to identify and to develop future leaders so that they have a good understanding of the estate’s goals and strategy. Time is made to holistically outline the goals and strategy and at the same time to discuss individual progress.
Certain characteristics are considered important in identifying future leaders, for example good relationships in the workplace, as well as successful problem-solving. Other significant leadership qualities include integrity and trust; that is, the person should have the ability to do the right thing when no one is watching.
Malie uses positive affirmation to empower the cellar team and gets excellent results when she gives feedback, even on smaller day-to-day tasks. This approach means that the cellar assistants have a better understanding of what is expected of them and at the same time it serves as motivation to perform to a high standard every day.
Cavalli Estate believes their employees are their greatest asset. The workers respond positively when given a clear explanation why their work is important and how it fits into the greater goals of the business. It was also found that employees thrive when given greater responsibility.
Lack of funding for training is generally a challenge for cellars. However, all available opportunities are used to increase knowledge of cellar assistants and vineyard workers. There is no doubt that the holistic approach followed by Cavalli Estate is successful which is to the benefit of all.
For more information, please contact Santi Basson at santib@mweb.co.za or 072 2988 186.