Producing only 3,500 cases of wine per year, De Trafford’s focus on detail is exquisite. Situated on the picturesque Mont Fleur farm, the vines are planted 380m above sea level between the Stellenbosch and Helderberg mountains.
An architect by trade, owner David Trafford is a self-taught winemaker – who naturally designed his own gravity flow winery. “I never chose winemaking as a profession – it was thrust upon me. I chose architecture, but live on land with such great vineyard potential, it was impossible not to get involved in the wine business,” he says. “It’s about understanding and working with the vineyard to coax something magical from the land, after that it’s hold thumbs you don’t mess it up in the cellar.”
David’s architectural background can be seen in the blueprints that adorn the labels of his wines, while others are painted by his wife, fine art graduate and chef Rita Trafford.