Look | Mud water and courage: This is how Robertson winegrowers look ahead

Two weeks after the storms and floods hit large parts of the Western Cape in mid-May, numerous vineyards in the Robertson wine district are still buried under river mud. Bottles of wine lie scattered in muddy heaps, and numerous wine farms are trying to rebuild piece by piece.

On some of these farms, however, it is not despair that rings loudest, but rather resilience.

In the midst of the damage, the financial uncertainty and the emotional toll of one of the worst floods to hit this region in the last century, winegrowers speak instead of communities joining hands and the determination to rise again.

At Van Loveren, one of South Africa’s best-known family wine farms and home of the Four Cousins ​​brand, around 50 ha of vineyards were washed away by the floods. A total of 15 ha was completely destroyed.

Yet Neil mentions Retief – one of the four cousins – not first their losses, but their team’s “small victories”.

“Within two days we had power back in the cellar. Shortly afterwards the office was able to work again. We wanted to start bottling again as soon as possible, because things cannot stand still,” says Neil.

The Retief family has been making wine since the 1930s, but it was in 1980 that the Van Loveren brand was born when the second generation, Nico and Wynand, started bottling wine under their own brand.

In the 1990s, Nico and Wynand’s sons – cousins ​​Phillip, Neil, Bussell and Hennie – joined the family business, and in 2000 they launched the hugely popular Four Cousins ​​wine range.

Although the farm’s chance of recovery looks promising, Neil admits that certain aspects of the business “will never be the same again”.

“That income is something you lose forever,” he says of the destroyed vineyards.

Each bottle must be carefully removed by hand. (Photo: Jhua-Nine Wyrley-Birch/Maroela Media)

According to Neil, another 15 to 20 ha can possibly be saved, but at a huge cost of between R250 000 and R300 000 per hectare just to remove the sand and silt.

At the time of Maroela Media’s visit to the farm, the cellar was in full repair mode.

Between 250 and 500 people helped every day to carefully remove by hand the 1.3 million bottles of wine that were in the mud after floodwater flooded the cellar. These bottles were also written off for a while.

“The water lifted the cement slabs and flowed right in here. The basement was almost two meters under water. Two and a half pallets were under the water – everything collapsed,” says Neil.

He tells how the team already prepared two days before the storm, after heavy rain was reported in areas such as Ceres and Du Toitskloof.

“We packed 2,500 sandbags the weekend before the worst floods. The basement also has steel doors for floods. We learned that’s all that works.”

However, when the water began to rise in earnest, their focus immediately shifted to humans.

The first priority was to keep workers and their families safe. Fourteen households had to be taken to safety and found new housing, with another four families at another unit also needing help.

A total of nine houses were destroyed.

According to Neil, the community’s support stood out during this time.

“People brought food, clothes and help for our workers. It’s incredible how organizations and communities reached out.”

Although the emotional toll of the floods was great, he says the entire team – from farm workers to management – rolled up their sleeves.

“I think it’s different, because the team knows it’s our future that lies in this. Our surnames may be different, but we all feel like family.”

As for the next season, according to Neil, there are currently more questions than answers.

“The land that is lost is lost. If the land and vines that remain can be saved, there should be a good harvest in February.”

He admits there were days of frustration, harsh words and, yes, tears too.

The Retief family has been making wine since the 1930s, but the Van Loveren brand originated in the 1980s. (Photo: Jhua-Nine Wyrley-Birch/Maroela Media)

“All four of our cousins ​​and the fathers were together on the farm the night before the worst of the floods hit. It was actually encouraging,” says Neil almost moved.

“Our fathers reminded us that the farm has been through floods and told us to take what comes, we’ll be okay.

“Emotionally, I think all of us have been through things. But then you take a breath and realize it doesn’t help to sit in the sack and ashes. You don’t have control over these things, and now we look forward.”

At Goedverwacht Family Wines, another proud family farm on Robertson, the same determination rings through.

Robert du Toit, chief marketing officer at Goedverwacht. (Photo: Jhua-Nine Wyrley-Birch/Maroela Media)

This farm has been owned by the Du Toit family since 1960 and has developed over three generations into an established wine estate in the region.

Robert du Toit, whose father, Jan, and brother, Gawie, are co-owners of the farm, describes the May month flood as “Biblical”.

“I’ve seen smaller floods, but nothing like this one. To see the scale of it and how powerless you are… You just accept it,” says Robert as he stands between, or on top of, vines engulfed by the flood.

He is responsible for marketing and communication on Goedverwacht. Like the case with Van Loveren, Robert says that the damage is currently difficult to quantify. He admits that the farm will probably “set back years”.

“But we are going to fight every bit we can to move forward,” says the 27-year-old, who grew up on this farm, smiling.

Although between 25 and 30 ha of vineyards were affected under production and their cellar and cold rooms suffered major damage, according to Robert, the team is still trying to serve their local and international markets and customers.

The power of the flood water was so great that even a 100,000 liter bolted tank was torn loose and swept away.

“Even though for us it’s about more than production, the cellar is a factory – it has to get going again. We have to get wine in bottles.”

Robert says that storms and floods of this nature cannot help but be life-changing. “You realize you can’t do anything about something like this, even if you wanted to. It’s emotional and difficult, but like many people in agriculture, you push through.”

For now, the farm is focusing on repairing vineyards and roads, while their citrus crop will help generate income.

“My heart breaks especially for my brother, who establishes and plants all the vineyards, but we all try to stay positive – that’s all we can be. There’s another part of you that kicks in when you’re faced with such a crisis.”

According to Robert, who for a period held a corporate position in Johannesburg, resilience is deeply rooted in agricultural communities.

“This industry is not for everyone. It’s wonderful in the good times and very sad in the bad times. But when families and communities come together, you gain perspective on what’s really important.”

He smiles when asked how communities can help and jokes that South Africans can now support the wine industry “by buying wine – in moderation, of course”.

When it comes to the effort and work that goes into each bottle, however, he speaks more seriously.

“Yes, please buy wine and support all our farms and farmers, but also appreciate the wine you drink. It’s not just a brand or a bottle. It’s families, workers and communities who put their whole lives and humanity into it.”