Archive for the ‘Boasting Biodiversity at Bouchard’ Category
Composting at Bouchard Finlayson
May 8th, 2012 | Author: Jessica
It is that time of the year, when we have piled our composting materials (grape skins and pips, deforested, chipped alien vegetation and lime) high, mixed these with heavy machinery and now cover the heap for the winter. Read the rest of this entry »
2012 harvest will be remembered as ” The Year of the Owl”!
March 6th, 2012 | Author: Peter
Barn Owl: One of the most widely spread birds in the world !
Our February experience with a newly fledged Barn Owl was quite an extraordinary happening. Every summer for the last eight years our cellar has enjoyed the experience of being host to a fresh brood of barn owl chick(s), normally one, perhaps two chicks would fledge.
Leaving the nest at about 8h00 in the morning and often not flying very far but soon disappearing. This year in early February I witnessed “Wolfgang”, my dog, pointing to under an outside table. There it was, this summer’s owlet! I captured the animal and put it out of harms reach back into its owl box, but for the next three weeks it never left the close confines of the office courtyard – strangely habituated and sleepily ignoring visitors and onlookers and sometimes twisting its head inquisitively at my camera lens.
Peter’s Baobab
January 23rd, 2012 | Author: Jessica
Standing tall, Peter Finlayson’s facial expression is that of a child in awe and wonder. A rather incongruent image: a small pot plant in the large hand, as Peter trickles a few water droplets over the reddish soil every second day or so.
At first I wondered who had placed two sticks in a pot and expected them to grow, but when on numerous occasions Peter visited the small plant in our office, I realized that this was no ordinary plant. The baby Baobab tree, also known as the ‘tree of life’, was left to awaken from dormancy and in late October the very first small green leaf became visible and then delicate attention was given to the plant.
A long leaf blade, expanding and finally reaching an astonishing dimension for the small stem and root space in the pot, was a gift from a friend of Peters. It was to be a test whether Peter could prove that he truly has ‘green fingers’ and does not only see success when it comes to working with Vitis vinifera. Read the rest of this entry »
Frank’s universe of knowledge shared
November 23rd, 2011 | Author: Frank Woodvine
If you are interested in our unique Cape Floral Kingdom, this may be worth your while reading!
The definition of endemism in the biological sense is ” confined to a particular area “.
The Cape Flora Kingdom ( C.F.K. or fynbos as we know it ) has six species of endemic birds plus a host of endemic insects and some amphibians etc. but it is the plant life , with nearly 6000 endemic species , (the British Isles has less than 20) out of a total of 9 000 that make it so unique .
It is not only at species level but 6 of its plant families are endemic with a seventh narrowly endemic with only one of its 75 species found outside the fynbos Kingdom.
I do not think that Europe has one family which is endemic.
Bouchard Finlayson – Peacocks and more!
November 10th, 2011 | Author: Jessica
Keeping you in the loop!
The warmer weather is taking its time to arrive in the valley this year, while we are kept busy with the activities in the vineyard aimed at optimizing the conditions dealt to us thus far for harvest 2012 – at this point we are balancing out the number of shoots per vine in order to optimize the sunlight in the canopy for the ripening period which follows fruit set after flowering!
The soils are moist Read the rest of this entry »
See your “G.P.” (Pinot noir) this winter!
May 31st, 2011 | Author: Jessica
Biodiversity, Farming with Vines, Wining and Dining and Galpin Peak Pinot noir…!
Yesterday has been one of those typical, Western Cape winter days with lots of rain and gale force winds as well as an icy chill – so much so that the cold air is set in motion and penetrates through the wool of a pullover during the mere walking by of a person in the room.
Although we are very happy about the rain, according to research on global climate change, we will experience increasingly shorter periods of rainfall with higher rainfall intensities. Read the rest of this entry »
Pinot noir
May 25th, 2011 | Author: Jessica
With our winemaker Peter Finlayson returning from the London International Wine Trade Fair, we have been completing all sorts of exciting projects. (More news on this soon!!!)
This week in the cellar we are bottling the Galpin Peak Pinot noir ’10 and are very excited about the outcome! With the occasional droplet of Pinot noir from the bottling, the air has filled with aromas of plums, mulberries and cherries! There is almost a calming melody in the cling-cling of the bottles as they are fed by a smiling Shannon, our cellar hands wife, into the bottling line. A fascinating almost playful image as the bottles move through the different stations in the line ending in a Nitrogen sparge and the cork from Portugal!
With todays events drawing to an end, the next day is awaited with excitement a tomorrow there is an interesting workshop in town on environmental/ conservational matters. Have a look at the program below.
BWI Producer day – 26 May 2011
Bokmakirieriet - a unique fynbos species found on Bouchard Finlayson thought to be extinct in the greater Hermanus area
King Protea
South African Pinot Producer Peter Finlayson
April 28th, 2011 | Author: Jessica
… the man behind the wine!
Harvest 2011 at Bouchard Finlayson
Winemaker, Peter Finlayson, who started this establishment in 1989, has always been aware of the impact farming can have on nature.
Upon arrival on the farm, he started the rehabilitation of the land, which had been heavily damaged due to the builder’s grit mining. He has continuously taken the initiative to start projects, which have the goal of sustainability in the cellar, vineyard as well as the rest of the land.
Apart from activities on the farm, he also has a passion for wildlife and documents moments in nature on his yearly self-initiated wine safaris in Kenya by taking photographs of wildlife.
A recent project has been in a less attractive holiday destination, where he has financially uplifted and encouraged ten passionate individuals to safeguard the wildlife at the Bumbusi Camp Nature Reserve in Hwange, Zimbabwe. Read the rest of this entry »
Bouchard Finlayson’s Biodiversity Boom
April 18th, 2011 | Author: Jessica
Bouchard’s Biodiversity Initiative -Bloomin’ marvellous!
Not only has there been a sharpened focus on the natural land surrounding our vineyards, but Bouchard Finlayson is undergoing a Biodiversity Boom with recent exciting findings on the bird and flower species diversity on our property!
Frank Woodvine, our conservation and environmental consultant has just been in the office to drop off the new flower of the week – remember to check our website for the updates on the flower of the week – sourced from our farm weekly!
Our resident Botanist Mr Frank Woodvine combs our farm weekly for a rare and interesting Fynbos flower. We welcome visitors to our cellar door to view our flower of the week in our tasting room – all flowers can be viewed in our archive. Read the rest of this entry »
Blue Cranes make an awe-inspiring appearance!
February 21st, 2011 | Author: Jessica
Bouchard’s blue cranes
One morning last week, when the sun was out at around eleven am, Mackenzie and I drove into the vineyard to obtain a sample of the two Sauvignon blanc blocks to establish the point of harvest and it was then, just as we came around the bend next to our big round dam, that we stumbled upon the blue crane family, which just happened to be basking in the sun.
These majestic creatures bowed their heads – at first unsettled by our presence – and then proceeded to slowly cross the road performing all kinds of feathery delights to leave us humbled by their awe and wonder.
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