Delheim Estate, renowned for its steadfast dedication to preserving its natural surroundings on Simonsberg Mountain and its array of sustainable farming practices that yield world-class wines, has secured the prestigious Conservation Pioneer Award at the 2024 Cape’s Best of Wine Tourism and Ambassador Awards. The Best of Wine Tourism Awards annually recognize wineries in various cities within the international Great Wine Capitals Network for their excellence across seven distinct categories.
Out of a total of 81 wine estates throughout the Western Cape that participated in the Great Wine Capitals Best of Wine Tourism Awards 2024, Delheim emerged as this year’s Conservation Pioneer. Sponsored by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the Conservation Pioneer Award underscores the pivotal role of eco- and social sustainability in shaping and implementing a new generation of captivating and competitive travel experiences.
Nora Thiel, co-owner and director of Delheim Estate, views the Conservation Pioneer Award as the culmination of a conservation and sustainable farming ethos that has prevailed at Delheim for over seven decades. She notes the global wine industry’s shift towards prioritizing conservation and sustainability in the past two decades, making wine a leader in global agricultural sustainability. The enduring commitment to conservation at Delheim played a pivotal role when the Cape wine industry began to formalize the protection of natural habitats in winelands and emphasize sustainable farming practices and winemaking.
Delheim Estate, occupying 375 hectares on Simonsberg in Stellenbosch, designates 89 hectares for conservation. In 2008, Delheim received Conservation Champion Status from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), recognizing its dedication to protecting and conserving the estate’s fauna and flora. Delheim’s commitment to conservation is further bolstered by regenerative viticulture, establishing the estate as a holistic model of sustainable wine farming.
Victor Sperling, co-owner and director at Delheim, emphasizes the interconnectedness of wine production and sustainability. He highlights that the vineyard’s natural environment significantly influences the quality and health of the grapes used in winemaking. Delheim’s viticulture and farming practices focus on sustainability, with the planting of fynbos corridors near vineyards to deter natural pests. They also employ parasitic insects to control harmful bugs, plant cover crops to suppress weeds, and refrain from tilling the soil to maintain its structure and moisture. Delheim’s ancient decomposed granite soils, essential for expressing the farm’s unique terroir and housing indigenous fynbos species, underscore the importance of soil health.
Water management is another crucial aspect of Delheim’s agricultural efforts. Half of the vineyards are dryland, relying solely on rainfall, and water usage is carefully controlled. Delheim’s sustainable practices extend to the cellar, where water is recycled for irrigation use.
Beyond preserving the biodiversity within Delheim Estate, the farm has played a vital role in community conservation efforts, particularly around the Klapmuts hillock. Nora, Chairperson of the Greater Simonsberg Conservancy, highlights Delheim’s involvement in conserving the indigenous yellowwood forest on Klapmutskop, a significant ecological treasure.
As a result of these measures and others, Delheim remains rich in fauna and flora, hosting numerous bird species, diverse plants, and wildlife such as porcupines, duikers, dassies, snakes, lizards, and even the majestic Cape leopard, captured on camera prowling the vineyard slopes at night.
Nora expresses that receiving the Conservation Pioneer Award in the Cape’s Best in Wine Tourism acknowledges Delheim’s commitment to integrating conservation and sustainability into its tourism offerings. Visitors not only revel in the estate’s natural beauty but also have opportunities to explore the mountain slopes and vineyards. Delheim’s tourism activities, like annual mushroom foraging events and vineyard tractor rides during harvest festivals, allow visitors to witness conservation in action and gain a deeper understanding of Delheim’s founding principles. Receiving the Conservation Pioneer Award is a significant honor for Delheim, acknowledging the legacy of its pioneers who instilled this ethos, and their continued dedication to preserving the natural world on a global scale.
