Located in Voor Paardeberg near Paarl on the Western Cape of South Africa approx 37 miles from Cape Town, Far Horizons Wine Farm consists of over 400 acres, which includes approximately 111 acres of superb wine grapes. Approximately 500 tons of grapes are crushed each year, producing the award winning wines of the Horse Mountain Wines label – big bodied wines full of fruit, with ripe tannins balanced by generous wood extract, designed for broad but discerning market appeal. Consistently recognized and awarded for excellence over the past few years, several Horse Mountain Wines were recently honored at the 2007 London International Wine Trade Fair. In addition to the Horse Mountain Wines, the farm is home Quagga Ridge Wines, an “everyday” wine line.
Grapes grown on the southeastern slopes of the Voor Paardeberg mountains are of a unique quality resulting in award winning wines. In 2003 the Wine & Spirit Board recognized the Voor-Paardeberg as a unique viticultural pocket, and awarded the area its own “ward.” Horse Mountain wines proudly bear the designation of Wine of Origin Voor-Paardeberg on their labels.
Approximate acres of planted grape varietals include over 25 acres of Cabernet Sauv’, roughly 30 acres of Shiraz, 20 acres of Pinotage, 30 acres of Merlot, and 5 acres of Cabernet Franc. All vines are drip irrigated and trellised.
The farm also has approximately 45 acres of irrigated hay crop, plus an oat hay crop that is dry farmed, roughly 30 acres of irrigated farm crops, and 100+ head of beef cattle on permanent pasture. A 250 tree Frantoio Olive tree orchard lines the entrance.
Improvements include a main dwelling manor house with four bedrooms, three reception rooms, three bathrooms and air conditioning, a managers dwelling with three bedrooms, two receptions rooms, one bath and air conditioning, a 100 ton maturation cellar and a bonded chilled wine warehouse, three offices and two guest/B&B bedroom suites, plus sheds, workshop, nine workers’ cottages, and equestrian activity alongside the vineyards.
The farm is also part of the Quagga Project dedicated to bringing back the Quagga animal (wild zebra.) A game conservation enclosure of approximately 111 acres provides home for the Quagga who once roamed free throughout the Paardeberg, as well as for Springbox, Red Hartebees, Wildebeest, and other wild species. A donation is made to the Quagga Project for every Quagga Ridge wine bottle sold.
The Voor Paardeberg Visitors’ Certer lies across the road from Far Horizons Wine Farm. The center offers wine tastings and other tourism activities.
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