Spier’s Love of the Land Made Visible
Stellenbosch, South Africa (January 12, 2024) – At Spier, everything starts with the soil. Regeneration is the golden thread that runs through all farm life, from vineyard practices to indigenous propagation and re-planting programmes. Everywhere on the farm, the passion for life from the ground up is almost tangible. Now the new Soil Room adjoining Spier’s Cowshed Shop is a dedicated space where visitors can experience the farm’s regenerative mastery, firsthand.
The Soil Room shows Spier’s mission to not only sustain the land but actively keep improving it. Curated with artistry and attention to detail, it’s a living showcase of Spier’s unending work in propagating indigenous species, restoring biodiversity, and keeping healthy ecosystems in balance.
Meet the Visionaries Behind Spier’s Regenerative Practices
The Soil Room makes tangible the life’s work of Spier’s dedicated team: people who have made it their mission to transform the farm, one living thing at a time. All who live and work at Spier have inculcated this philosophy into their daily lives and tasks. Many exceptional individuals have driven this ethos with passion and decades of commitment, meet three of them:
- Wilton Sikhosana, Nursery Manager, has overseen the propagation of indigenous species, for over two decades. “What we are doing is restorative work,” he explains. “Planting back all the indigenous and endemic plants that were removed from the farm. We’re trying to bring it back to how it was originally.”
- Orlando Filander, Spier’s veteran Farm Manager, brings a custodial perspective. “This land doesn’t belong to us; we’re just the custodians of this farm, and everyone working on this farm aims to leave it in a better state.”
- Angus McIntosh, Regenerative Farmer a.k.a. Farmer Angus, highlights the role of soil health: “The more carbon we have in our soils, the more water and nutrients it can hold. We are trying to produce foods that are nutrient-dense and at the same time are building an ecosystem on the farm.”
These individuals represent the pinnacle of Spier’s commitment to restoring balance, not only to the land but to the people on the farm who interact with it.
The Soil Room: A Reflection of Regeneration
The Soil Room is more than a gift shop. It’s a space where visitors can see, feel and engage with the legacy of Spier’s regenerative work:
- Plant Life & Living Décor: Indigenous plants, locally grown yellowwood trees and handmade wreaths bring soul-nourishing botanicals into your home.
- Sustainable Craft: Botanical inks extracted from South African plants show how creativity and sustainability work in synergy, in a visually arresting collection of vivid natural hues.
- Eco-Art: Chris van Niekerk’s Ecoskeletons, intricate sculptures made from foraged botanical materials, highlight the vital role insects play in sustaining life.
“Our work in The Soil Room is what I call restorative creativity,” says Annebelle Schreuders, Managing Director of Spier Hospitality. “Every plant, every piece of art, and every conversation here ties back to the idea of injecting life back into the land.”
Living Facts
- Over 17 697 trees, shrubs, and groundcover plants were planted last year to restore fynbos, wetlands, and landscapes across the farm.
- Since 2012, Spier’s nursery has cultivated and replanted over 102,957 trees, shrubs, and fynbos, as well as propagating more than 1 million bulbs.
- Spier is one of 50 WWF-SA Conservation Champions.
Growing for Good
The Soil Room also makes tangible Spier’s broader Growing for Good initiatives, which help to restore ecosystems, improve soil health, and support local communities through projects that educate and inspire understanding and love of the land.
Visit The Soil Room in the Cowshed shop to experience the pulse of Spier’s regenerative journey.
Read more at www.spier.co.za/growing-for-good.
ABOUT SPIER
Established in 1692, Spier is one of South Africa’s oldest and most celebrated family-owned working wine farms. Across all its areas of its involvement, from land to community, and art to entrepreneurship, the business employs a long-term, intentional, regenerative model. This connected, collaborative and systemic approach is part of Spier’s DNA.
The Spier label has become a symbol for top terroir-driven wines, and the winery produces multiple ranges of award-winning wines. Spier has twice been named South African Producer of the Year by the International Wine & Spirit Competition.
Spier’s excellence in winemaking is matched by its love of growing and making good food. Most of what you’ll eat or buy on the farm – at The Picnickery, the Hotel restaurants and at Vadas Smokehouse & Bakery – is homegrown or sourced nearby.
Art, like food and wine, is best shared, which is why Spier is such an enthusiastic supporter of African artists and their creations. The Spier Art Collection, housed throughout the farm and at the Spier Hotel – itself a haven of tranquillity and relaxation – is one of the largest collections of contemporary South African art in the country.
Pioneering environmental and social initiatives have added to Spier’s reputation for doing things differently. Spier’s Growing for Good initiatives, which aim to make a long-lasting positive impact empower communities to make positive social and environmental change.
Spier is a WWF Conservation Champion and a member of the Wine Industry Ethical Trade Associations (WIETA). Spier is FSSC 22000 and organically certified and vegan-friendly. The Hotel is Fair Trade Tourism accredited. The business aims to reach a net zero-aligned carbon footprint by 2030.
