As part of the BioLOGIC® approach we make use of sea solids throughout the seasons to ensure balanced nutrition for our vines. The use of mineral-rich sea solids in agriculture originated from the pioneering work of Dr Maynard Murray, who was a medical doctor...
Every season, across the wine-making regions of the world, the question of when to harvest can be a veritable mine-field for viticulturists and Wine Makers. Harvesting based on phenolic ripeness at the expense of taste is criticised as it often results in high...
Weeds might be the bane of the conventional farmer, but at Avondale we regard them as storytellers that are worth listening to. Every weed has an ideal environment that it likes to grow in. If a soil is out of balance – deficient in certain minerals, too acid or too...
Once again the seasons are turning, and Autumn brings its own special rhythms, colours and light. It is a time when Avondale’s ethos “Terra est Vita” – Soil is Life – is top of mind. As our vines get ready for their months of rest, we have plenty of work to do...
Vineyards are monocultures which are fundamentally unnatural, unbalanced environments that Nature strives constantly to correct. In conventional farming, the vineyard becomes the battlefield where a damaging war is continuously waged between the farmer and life....
As family man… Avondale is a family farm where we appreciate that the health and balance of our living system is inextricably linked to well-being of our families. As a father of two and a husband, as son and brother, my inspiration to achieve a robust, balanced vineyard ecosystem is to ensure that Avondale will support the lives of our future generations.
As artist… A passion for jazz and a love for all forms of art, especially woodwork and sculpture led me into four years of fine art studies – an eclectic education for a budding a farmer, for sure! However, I have found that in so many ways, the patterns, interconnections and openness of the artistic worldview have influenced my understanding of how living systems work.
As farmer… My interest in farming started early when I was a boy growing up on a small-holding outside of Durbanville. I planted and tended my own vegetables which I sold to family and friends. I hardly imagined at that time though that I would one day become a farmer. However, the theme of a healthy balanced life was embedded in our family’s outlook.
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