Since the first sauvignon blanc was produced in 2003, all Oak Valley’s wines have consistently been rated 4-stars or better in the benchmark Platter wine guide.

By Ian Armitage

Anthony Rawbone-Viljoen’s Oak Valley Estate is a breathtaking, beautiful paradise. The estate -- in South Africa’s Elgin wine production Ward -- measures 1786 hectares and has four operating divisions: fruits, flowers, gourmet meats and wines.

Rawbone-Viljoen (pictured) has been farming the property his great-grandfather founded in 1898 since 1973. He has helped to create a dynamic business, producing top-class award winning wines, cut flowers, grass-fed beef, free-range corn-feed pork and fruits.

“The estate was founded by my grandfather in 1898,” says Rawbone-Viljoen. “We, of course, remain family owned to this day.”

Sir Antonie Viljoen was somewhat of a pioneer and amongst his many farming achievements was the establishment of the first commercial deciduous fruit orchards in the Elgin Valley. It was also his decision to plant the first substantial area of vineyard for wine grape production in the valley and in 1908 he decided to commission the first wine cellar in the area too.

“Our first wine in the modern era was produced on the estate in 2003, when winemaker Pieter Visser created the maiden Oak Valley sauvignon blanc,” Rawbone-Viljoen says.

Fortunately for him, the wine was an instant success.

“We have made great strides in the market since the launch of our first wine and we now produce five wines, with plans for further expansion,” he says.

The Oak Valley range of wines includes a sauvignon blanc, a chardonnay, a sauvignon/semillon blend (The OV), a pinot noir and a Bordeaux-styled blend, known as The Oak Valley Blend.

“Peter Visser is our viticulturist and he has been working on the farm since 1993; he makes all our wines,” says Rawbone-Viljoen.

Oak Valley’s pinot noir 2008 won a Gold Medal and the Regional Trophy in the over £10 class at the 2010 Decanter World Wine Awards, while its Chardonnay 2009 won the Trophy for the Best SA White Wine at the 2010 International Wine Challenge in London. It was a remarkable feat. Until recently there were very few credible pinot noir producers in South Africa. Even those with an established reputation often delivered imperfect wines to the market. Oak Valley has changed this.

“The cool climate of the Elgin region, meticulous vineyard management and a very special respect for the indigenous flora and fauna combine to create wines with finesse and elegance,” Rawbone-Viljoen says. “The Elgin Ward is considered to be one of the most distinctively cool areas in South Africa and this is reflected in the styles of wine produced here. The flavours of our wines are characterised by mineral undertones, complimented by fresh acidity, giving an elegance that has its origins in the cool terroir of the valley.”

There is more to Oak Valley than wine. It is also one of the largest deciduous fruit production units in South Africa.

“We have some 350 hectares currently under production, the majority of this [some 70 percent] is planted to apples,” says Rawbone-Viljoen.

Oak Valley has invested large amounts of capital in modernising the orchard capacity with new cultivars being introduced in line with current market demands, he says.

Two thirds of the total fruit area is planted to high value varieties.

“Our apple varietal mix includes the likes of Pink Lady and Fuji as well as the more traditional Golden Delicious and Granny Smith,” explains Rawbone-Viljoen. “We also have a pear mix, which includes Abate Fetel.”

Oak Valley was one of the first three farming units outside of the EU to achieve the prestigious Tesco Natures Choice accreditation now in the Gold Class, and is also Globalgap accredited, giving it priority access to supermarket shelf space.

It has also achieved preferred supplier status with Waitrose in the UK.

“The fruit crop is packed and stored at the Two-a-Day Group Limited, of which we are a shareholder,” says Rawbone-Viljoen. “Two-a-Day Group has a wholly owned subsidiary, Elgin Fruit Juices (Pty) Ltd, which was established to deal with the processing quality fruit produced on its shareholders farms. This fruit is converted into apple and pear juice concentrate for sale in markets across the world.”

Marketing of the fruit is conducted through a joint venture company called Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing (Pty) Limited, he explains.

“Exports are targeted at the UK, Europe the Far East, the Middle East and North America, whilst Tru-Cape is also the largest national supplier of apples and pears to the domestic and over border markets in Southern Africa. Africa is a growing part of our export drive.

“We have our own corrugated carton manufacturer and distributer too, APL Cartons (Pty) Ltd.”

As if Oak Valley wasn’t diversified enough, it also has a flowers business, a business that offers guest cottages for short-term rental, within the estate, and it runs the Oak Valley Mountain Biking Experience, and plays host to the ABSA Cape Epic MTB race.

“We also have a gourmet meats business,” Rawbone-Viljoen adds. “

During 2007 Oak Valley imported its first pedigreed Wagyu embryos from Australia. Wagyu is the beef breed that produces the famous Japanese Kobe beef.

“The first calves were born during 2008, and they will form the nucleus of a planned breeding programme, which will ultimately lead to production,” Rawbone-Viljoen says. “The beef is renowned for its marbling and flavours.”

In addition to Wagyu, Oak Valley Gourmet Meats has been experimenting with the production of hams and related products made from acorn-fed free-range pigs.

“We have over 4000 ancient oak trees on the farm,” says Rawbone-Viljoen. “The acorn diet is the key to both the texture and the rich flavours of the pork.

“Oak Valley has never been a boring place to be,” he concludes. “There is complexity here that has to be managed. That is the challenge. But we are not rushing into things wildly. We do our homework. We plan. And we like to research and experiment. Of course, we would be nothing without the support of quality people. Oak Valley has more than 220 permanent employees with an additional 650 workers employed in a seasonal capacity, depending on the time of the year. We have a proven track record of caring for our employees, and are an equal opportunity employer. The facilities offered, and working conditions in general, are of the highest standard.”