The catch phrases ‘sustainable’, ‘green’ and ‘organic’ are often bandied about, especially when it comes to food and wine. But so seldom do you find a producer that really walks the talk when it comes to sustainability. It’s a long, hard road, but Waterkloof Wine Estate is firmly on that path – along with all its chickens, sheep, hawks and horses.

Eat Out was invited to Waterkloof recently for a tour of the farm and to dine on chef Gregory Czarnecki’s sublime creations in The Restaurant at Waterkloof. The estate’s holistic approach – led by lively farm manager Christiaan Loots – focuses on the interrelationships of the soil, plants and animals. The self-sustaining system, with its minimal impact on natural surroundings, aims to enhance the quality of the environment, not deplete and damage it.

But it’s not easy. For example, instead of using only tractors, which compact the soil and flatten out the air around the vine roots, the farm employs sturdy workhorses. (By 2013 the farm is planning to have relinquished all of its tractors.) Christiaan tells us, as our bakkie passes the paddock where some steeds are resting, that one of them was rescued from a barren strip of land and brought to the farm to be rehabilitated and trained. He loves the sweet grass at Waterkloof, as evidenced by his round rump.

Next, we are shown the chickens’ mobile home (containing their cosy hokkies), which is moved around the farm every day. Scratching up the soil and providing gentle aeration, the chickens also gobble up many of the pests: a travelling garden service. Hawk perches dotted in the vineyards encourage birds of prey to deal with any burrowing rodents.

Everything on the farm has its purpose, and nothing is wasted. In keeping with biodynamic principles, the use of manures and composts is favoured above artificial chemicals. The Waterkloof cows are kept suckling their calves for longer to boost the calcium in their manure, which builds up the soil. Sheep, because of the high content of nitrogen in their manure, also enrich the earth. These animals are currently helping to prepare a hectare of ground for an organic veggie patch in the works for 2012. An empty reservoir is being kitted out with old drums for an earthworm farm; nearby, cardboard wine boxes stand ready to be used for seedling planting. On the farm everything keeps moving, changing, being recycled and reused – it’s dynamic indeed.

Biodynamic wines are considered to express terroir particularly well, and this rings true when we taste the fresh sea air and the altitude in Waterkloof’s offerings. Winemaker Werner Engelbrecht has crafted a particularly moreish white blend in the Circle of Life collection. Its label, with a charming flip-though ‘movie’ of a wine farm’s circle of life, reinforces the Waterkloof philosophy.

Chef Gregory Czarnecki has expertly paired these vintages with his dishes. The simple décor of the restaurant, known for its immense glass windows and high volume ceilings, complements the contemporary, elegant food. Our meal included the likes of baby cucumber with buchu meringue, pomegranate yoghurt and biltong soil; ginger-infused pears and delicate monkfish; dark and juicy quail; and a visually stunning dessert incorporating black, green and yellow. The new vegetable garden will give Gregory an even richer palette from which to create his seasonal dishes, and will support the farm’s concept by bringing produce even closer to home. One thing’s for sure: ‘green’ has never tasted this good.

View the photographs here.

By Linda Scarborough