Vineyard
At Muratie, the passion for preserving our rich heritage, and the wonderful human stories that are woven into the very fabric of our history, are matched only by the way in which we craft our fine wines. And we believe that great wines are made in the vineyard. This is why you will often find our winemaker among the vines, making sure they are in pristine health and studying every influence on our world-class terroir at the foot of Stellenbosch’s Simonsberg Mountain.
Philosophy
Muratie’s rich history is captured in every nook and cranny. Wherever you are on the estate you cannot help being moved by a sense of the many generations that have Lived and worked here. The buildings, the artifacts and even the shrubs and trees exude an aura of the colourful past reaching towards an even more fruitful future. Then once you have experienced this absorbing atmosphere, you will literally taste it in the Tasting Room where our wines can be savoured every day of the week.
Sustainability
At Muratie, the passion for preserving our rich heritage, and the wonderful human stories that are woven into the very fabric of our history, are matched only by the way in which we produce our fine wines
The wine industry has evolved rapidly in recent years, bringing with it some necessary advances and, sadly, losing at times some of the skill that makes winemaking the enigmatic endeavour that sets it apart in a modern world of mass production. At Muratie we are at pains to balance this blend of tradition and evolution to ensure that we continue producing the same classic wines for which we have become internationally renowned
For example, we still handpick our grapes This gives us a better understanding of the quality of the harvest even before we start extracting the juice Not content with that, we then hand select the grapes on a sorting table, ensuring that only the best bunches are used in the winemaking
Even the way we extract the juice is considered A 3-ton open pneumatic bed presses the grapes, using a rubber membrane We believe this is the gentlest method, avoiding mechanical crushing and grinding of the skins and seeds
Blending the best of traditional and modern methods, we employ a combination of classic open fermenters and stainless steel tanks in the fermentation process After fermentation, the grapes are gently pressed and the wine is matured in French oak barrels until our vintner discerns that it has reached its optimum moment to go to bottle
Throughout the process – from fermenting to bottling – we use a balance of winemaker’s intuition, time-honored processes and contemporary best practice Even the vineyards themselves are kept pest-free by ever-vigilant flocks of ducks and geese, avoiding the need for environmentally insensitive pesticides
If you wish to witness how wine is made in the truest sense, you are invited to visit us at the farm
At Muratie, the passion for preserving our rich heritage, and the wonderful human stories that are woven into the very fabric of our history, are matched only by the way in which we produce our fine wines
The wine industry has evolved rapidly in recent years, bringing with it some necessary advances and, sadly, losing at times some of the skill that makes winemaking the enigmatic endeavour that sets it apart in a modern world of mass production. At Muratie we are at pains to balance this blend of tradition and evolution to ensure that we continue producing the same classic wines for which we have become internationally renowned
For example, we still handpick our grapes This gives us a better understanding of the quality of the harvest even before we start extracting the juice Not content with that, we then hand select the grapes on a sorting table, ensuring that only the best bunches are used in the winemaking
Even the way we extract the juice is considered A 3-ton open pneumatic bed presses the grapes, using a rubber membrane We believe this is the gentlest method, avoiding mechanical crushing and grinding of the skins and seeds
Blending the best of traditional and modern methods, we employ a combination of classic open fermenters and stainless steel tanks in the fermentation process After fermentation, the grapes are gently pressed and the wine is matured in French oak barrels until our vintner discerns that it has reached its optimum moment to go to bottle
Throughout the process – from fermenting to bottling – we use a balance of winemaker’s intuition, time-honored processes and contemporary best practice Even the vineyards themselves are kept pest-free by ever-vigilant flocks of ducks and geese, avoiding the need for environmentally insensitive pesticides
If you wish to witness how wine is made in the truest sense, you are invited to visit us at the farm
Worth Looking After
- Moving over to solar renewable energy
- Reduced plastic use in all functions
- Preserving history of South Africa and Stellenbosch
- Proud to invest in our staff and their training
- Staff payments are higher than average
- We reduced insecticides to a bare minimum & works mostly with organic/natural alternatives e.g. larva eggs, that will hatch and help keep problematic insects in check
- Financial education focussing on how to use and work with money and savings
- Health and welfare is a big focus for the wellbeing of the entire Muratie Staff
- Muratie is part of the Integrated production wine (IPW) Thus, complies with international wine industry environmental sustainability criteria, including the
- ‘Global Wine Sector Environmental Sustainability Principles’ as published by the International Federation of Wine and Spirits and the International
- Organisation of Vine and Wine
- Water-dripping-system are in place and specialised cover crop mixes are being used to use less water resources
- Hand harvest to prevent soil compaction
- Pesticides are replaced with organic alternatives
- Muratie strictly follows these guidelines for sustainable Viti-viniculture. Some of the key areas are: Production, Processing and Packaging
- Ducks are used in the vineyards to keep snails, slugs and bugs also in a controllable population