Jean du Preez of Rockfield wine farm.

Rockfield wine grape farm in Worcester was announced as the winner of the VinPro/Winetech Vineyard Block Competition in the Worcester/Breedekloof region. The owner, Jean du Preez, received the accolade during a farmer’s day that was held at the farm last week.

The theme of this year’s competition was Sauvignon Blanc. Tierkloof Workers’ Trust came in at a close second, while Breëland Estate and Deetlefs Estate shared the third place.

Close to 75 producers and sponsors attended the farmer’s day, which was kicked off with a harvest overview by Petrie de Kock from BASF. Andries Stofberg and Dirk van Eeden from Terason highlighted the latest on vine nutrients, as well as powdery mildew trials. This was followed by a demonstration of battery-driven pruning shears by Matthieu Hamel from Pellenc.

“The vineyard practices that Rockfield illustrated here, are an excellent example of how Sauvignon Blanc can be produced optimally in the Worcester region,” said Pierre Snyman, VinPro’s viticulturist in the region, during the vineyard evaluation.

The VinPro/Winetech vineyard block competition is held annually in the respective regions to identify, celebrate and share best viticultural practices.

ENQUIRIES: Lee-Anne Davidson, tel 021 276 0460, e-mail leeanne@vinpro.co.za.