Kleinood - a gem in front of the breathtaking scenery of the Helderberg
In 2000, Gerard de Villiers and his wife Libby discovered a piece of land in Stellenbosch - and created the vineyard Kleinood (Afrikaans for Jewel) from a run-down fruit farm. Gerard is a passionate engineer and has already constructed several important wine cellars in South Africa. Of course, Gerard de Villiers himself designed and built the state of the art cellar of Kleinood. With the 10 hectare land he fulfilled a dream - his wife and he analysed soil and climate, planted native plants and planted 200 trees. The focused work and the long search for the right location for the vines have paid off: today, excellent Syrah grapes, supplemented by Viognier, grow here. The family winery produces four wonderful wines.
Kleinood wines are popular with critics and gourmets
The de Villiers family has a long tradition in South African wine-growing, as owner Gerard is a direct descendant of the Huguenot Jacob de Villiers, who came to South Africa in 1688. Like his ancestors, Gerard de Villiers did some pioneering work, as he and his family were the first to plant vines and make wine on Kleinood. The excellent result can be traced back to his precise analyses. He analysed well in advance until he found the perfect place for his vines. In addition to the Kleinood wine creations Tamboerskloof Syrah, Tamboerskloof John Spicer Syrah, De Herder, Tamboerskloof Katharien Rosé and Tamboerskloof Viognier, two hectares of olives are planted. Boerin extra virgin olive oil is made from the small fruits.
Kleinood focuses on sustainability in all areas
Environmental awareness is written big on Kleinood. The winery is a member of the Biodiversity & Wine Initiative, uses ladybirds as natural pest controllers in the vineyard and installed solar panels on the roof of the wine cellar a few years ago to be able to use renewable energies. The labels on the Kleinood wines are also produced sustainably: They are made of recycled paper, printed with a wooden press, torn by hand and glued to the bottles. The labels bear the Kleinood logo: a sheep with a flag. The logo is reminiscent of the coat of arms of the de Villiers family.