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Neuras Wine Estate
DESERT WINE
On the edge of the oldest desert in the world, in stark contrast to the sunscorched landscape, you’ll find a small oasis of date trees and grapevines. An unexpected but welcoming sight for any weary traveller looking for a place to cool down and enjoy a glass of wine.
Neuras Wine & Wildlife Estate is known to be the world’s second-driest vineyard, only outdone by vineyards in the very driest place on earth - the Atacama Desert in Chile.
The crystal clear cold springs of Neuras were a well-known and important source of water for the local inhabitants in the area before European settlers arrived in the 19 th century.
Therefore it is not surprising that the name originates from the Koikoi language, meaning “place of abandoned water” in reference to the five springs that rise along a geological fault line. During Namibia’s German colonial era this source of water played an important role to the Schutztruppe (colonial troops) that patrolled the district. In 1894 a farmer by the name of Ernst Hermann started growing vegetables and cereals at Neuras to provide fresh produce to these troops and their mounts. Because of the abundant water at his disposal he also planted some table grapes.
Fast forward to more than a century later and these same grapevines, although neglected, were still producing fruit. When Allan Walkden-Davis, the predecessor of the current owner, bought the land in 1998 the vines intrigued and inspired him. He planted a vineyard and produced an arid terroir wine.
Walkden-Davis and his wife Sylvia planted Shiraz, Merlot and Petit Verdot in 1998 and bottled the first Neuras wines in 2001. In 2012 Neuras was bought by its current owners, N/a’an ku sê, who have since increased the original 1.2 hectares of vines to just under 4 hectares. N/a’an ku sê was also expanded to combine its ecotourism brand with wine making and wildlife conservation.
The Neuras range consists of three red wines: Neuras Shiraz, the Neuras Triple Cultivar Blend (Shiraz, Mourvèdre and Grenache) and the Neuras Triple Clone Shiraz (three different clones of Shiraz grown in the same block). At around 5000 bottles per year this is no commercial winery, but like the other wineries in Namibia, that is what makes it special. Interestingly, the country’s first rum and brandy were distilled at Neuras.
Le Roux van Schalkwyk
