Our Appellations
The terroir of Hemel-en-Aarde
Background
With the reclassification of the Walker Bay as a Wine District in 2004, the way was open for producers in the District to create their own more relevant Wine Wards with the assistance of a committee of soil specialists and viticulturists. Three Wards were created in the Hemel-en-Aarde Area:
Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, created in August 2006
Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, created in August 2006 and
Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, created in June 2009.
These three appellations have the beautiful seaside resort town of Hermanus as their “service centre” and are aligned along the scenic Hemel-en-Aarde Road (R320) as you leave Hermanus towards Caledon in the above order, with the nearest beginning 1 km from the turn-off and the furthest ending 18.2 km from the turn-off.
The Hemel-en-Aarde Area Appellations
Hemel-en-Aarde Valley
(Stretches for 6.7 kilometres along the R320 from Hermanus)
This is the first appellation as you leave Hermanus and enter the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley (geographically speaking). It is also home to the first vineyards planted in the area and is the closest to the Atlantic Ocean of the three appellations. Ripening tends to occur first in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley appellation.
Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley
(6.7 kms from the R320 turn-off for a further 6.6 km)
This is the second appellation encountered as you proceed northeast up the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley (geographically speaking) from Hermanus, and is the largest of the three Hemel-en-Aarde appellations. Ripening tends to occur later here than for the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley appellation. It is the second closest Hemel-en-Aarde appellation to the sea.
Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge
(starts 13.3 kms from the R320 turn-off and ends 18.2 km from R320 turn-off)
This is the third and smallest appellation encountered as you proceed along the R320 and the furthest down the Hemel-en-Aarde road. Ripening here generally occurs later than the other two Hemel-en-Aarde appellations, due in part to the lofty elevations of the Ridge.
Common Factors
Common Factors
Particularly strong maritime influence.
Atlantic Ocean Walker Bay, with its cooling influence of the cold Benguela current as well as the prevailing summer wind, the Southeaster enhances the cooling effect of proximity to the sea.
Higher than average rainfall for the winelands.
Annual average rainfall is in the region of 750 mm if a ten-year average is taken. Hemel-en-Aarde with its more even rainfall distribution, affords the possibility of dispensing with irrigation.
Cool in a South African context.
Hemel-en-Aarde averages around 25 Centigrade over a 10 year period, in other words the Hemel-en-Aarde Area is significantly cooler than most winegrowing areas in South Africa for the most important months of the year for wine quality.
Further south than most of the winelands.
Situated 34º 24' 3.2” and 34º 19' 51.5" south, the three Hemel-en-Aarde Area appellations do not come close to approximating the latitudes of the great European winegrowing regions and are cooled more by close proximity to the cold Atlantic Ocean than latitude.
