Gary Jordan and farm manager Hilton Phipson have been hard at work the past few months with a 30 tonne excavator high up on a wind-swept hill at Jordan Wine Estate, preparing a new vineyard where they will be planting the ancient Greek grape variety, Assyrtiko, this year. Once the vines have been established, they will be trained in the traditional Santorini, ground hugging, basket-weaved style to minimize wind damage to the grapes during summer.
The Assyrtiko grape is a Greek white variety, indigenous to the island of Santorini. Gary Jordan, a passionate geologist and winemaker, understands the soils on every part of this estate and has determined the perfect location for the growing of Assyrtiko, at the top of a hill overlooking False Bay and the Stellenbosch Kloof Valley.
"We’re taking global warming seriously," says Gary. "Assyrtiko is a white grape variety that should thrive in these dry, minerally soils while cooled by the strong winds blowing from False Bay only 14km away."
Gary and Kathy’s passion for this vibrant variety started when they visited Santorini together when Kathy was only 18 years old. The planting of Assyrtiko pays homage to Kathy Jordan’s Greek heritage. Gary and Kathy have returned to Greece many times since, spending time learning about the variety while visiting leading Assyrtiko winemakers.
"Assyrtiko was only recently added as a permitted variety in South Africa, so we’re looking forward to releasing the country’s first commercial Assyrtiko," adds Kathy. "It has taken us some years to get to the planting stage, but winemaker Sjaak Nelson has already had the foresight to install a number of traditional amphorae in our underground cellar that will be used in the winemaking process and the URL www.assyrtiko.com now points to the top of Jordan Wine Estate."
Family-owned Jordan Wine Estate, Stellenbosch, one of the leading estates in South Africa, has been producing award-winning wines since 1993. Featuring a wine tasting centre, luxury accommodation, a world-class restaurant & bakery, where visitors can enjoy fine wines, surrounded by breathtaking vineyards and panoramic views of Table Mountain, False Bay and the Stellenbosch Mountains. The ancient 600-million year old Cape granite soils, elevated vineyards and close proximity to both Indian and Atlantic Oceans, enable Jordan to specialise in classic varieties, well-suited to the unique meso-climates.