A new and bright summertime pink bursting with flavors of citrus, red berries and cotton candy.

Sixpence was the nickname given to shepherd Daniel Smiles who looked after the flock of sheep that roamed the farm in the 1950’s and 1960’s, when Stanley Louw was a boy. Sixpence’s son, Andries who retired in 2008, worked on the farm all his life and after his retirement in 2008, passed away in 2012. Today we have 3rd
generation workers on the farm with all 30 families permanently residing on the estate.

Over time the farm increased the amount of land under vine and stopped farming sheep. Vineyards were planted on what had been grazing land, and they have been referred to as Sixpence’s Vineyards ever since. The Sixpence wines are made from grapes mostly sourced from these vines.

This wine range is a tribute to not only Sixpence, but all the legends that have worked on Opstal. With third generation workers on the farm we are proud to honour those that have become part of the bigger family and have helped to make Opstal a success.

Our Terroir:
Like a rocky crown, magisterial mountains circle the Breedekloof Wine Valley, effectively trapping its own climate inside the soaring peaks. Through this the Worcester Fault has pushed up hills of weathered sandstone and granite, crumbling into river pebbles and ancient layers of sedimentary minerals. Long and wide, the valley is carved through with the life-giving Breede River and its tributaries, from which first sprang agriculture in this isolated place.

Winemaking here is informed by this all-important river, antediluvian geology and the imposing mountains, which ensure high diurnal swings and slow ripening conditions for distinct wines that have a sun-imbued richness balanced by an inimitable stony freshness.

Our Abundant Water:
Slanghoek has an incredibly high rainfall. On average, it measures approximately 1300ml per year at our house and cellar. And some area’s of the valley up to 2000 ml per year. Unfortunately, Slanghoek is very dry in the summer and that is why it is important for us to have water available in the dry months to use for supplementary irrigation. We have a dam on the Slanghoek Mountain side that is 60m higher than any of our crops, so we use the natural slopes to get the water to our fields. This way we can get water timely and accurately to the crops.

Our Community Fund:
The Sixpence figure, the hunchback shepherd on the label, represents all the families who are involved on the farm. He was a worker on the farm many years ago and his descendants are still involved in the business.

Opstal is a family business, but when we say “family”, we don’t mean just the owners and management’s family – it is all our people who are with us in this business. And that is why “Sixpence” is such an important projuect and label – it is a tribute to all those familys that are and were part of Opstal.

The “Sixpence Community Fund” was established for the benefit of the workers and their families who stay on the farm.

Our Nature: The harmony between our industry and the environment is very important for us at Opstal Estate. For nearly 10 years alongside Cape Nature we try to conserve and preserve the natural fynbos for the next generation.

Our Fynbos: Alien plants in South Africa, especially in dense stands along rivers, use more water than indigenous vegetation. This translates into a 4% reduction in water availability, which could escalate exponentially if these plants were to spread uncontrolled. Further negative side effects of uncontrolled alien plant growth include the loss of rare species, displacement of indigenous populations, increased fire intensity, soil erosion, interception of catchment runoff and downstream impacts on biodiversity and the functioning of aquatic ecosystems. In order to promote the resilience of tributaries in the Upper Breede River as ecological corridors and providers of ecosystem services, critical interventions such as alien clearing and rehabilitation projects are essential. Ecosystem services are recognized as critical to society and of significant economic value. The benefits of restoring natural capital will improve water security, dilute pollution, recharge groundwater and support ecological resilience. Alien clearing and rehabilitation projects of this nature in the Upper Breede River region are essential for the restoration of natural capital.

Due to the invasion of woody alien plants and the subsequent unnatural fire regimes, many of the majestic indigenous trees and shrubs that first populated the forested banks of the Breede River such as the Breede River Yellow Wood (Podocarpus elongatus), Wild Olive (Olea europaea subsp. africana) and Wild Almond (Brabejum stellatifolium) and Palmiet (Prionium serratum) to name but a few, has all but disappeared from the system. The project aims to grow these plants in the Worcester Field Reserve nursery in order to reintroduce them to the system. The reintroductions happen as part of the structured project, but also by means of the landowners who purchase the plants and establish them in their campsites on the riverbanks. The reintroductions of these indigenous trees provide a level of competition for returning alien plants and it improves the functional diversity of the riparian zone. Without this active intervention, the system will not be able to reach the level of ecological resilience required to persevere on its own. There are few places where these trees are cultivated today and without a concerted effort to re-establish them, they will not be able to return to the system.

Our Crops: We would label ourselves as being a diverse business, where we have the tourism side we also have fruit production; peaches, grapes persimmons and young apple trees. We try to create a basket full of food which also allows us to distribute the risk throughout the year with different income streams. This permits us to optimise our labor and supply work to our people throughout the year.