Social Responsibility

Staff Philosophy

At Quoin Rock we value people and recognise the value of their individuality to the success of the business. Quoin Rock believes in paying people a fair wage which is not limited to the margins of industry standard but rather linked to the value they add to the success of the business. For this reason all our vineyard staff are paid in excess of twice the minimum wage as regulated by the Department of Agriculture. We have a policy of mentoring and training where more experienced staff will work alongside less experienced staff so that there is always a sense of continuity and depth in our skills base. We believe that the joint effort of individuals and the potential of our vineyards are more important than the efforts of one. It is for this reason that we recognise our wines as a product of origin and hopefully this will result in a sense of continuity throughout the vintages produced at Quoin Rock.

Vineyard Philosophy

At Quoin Rock we believe that our vineyards form part of our surrounding environment and that we have a responsibility to care for them in a way which takes into consideration the impact on the wider environment. Whilst not following any specific certification we go to great lengths to exclude harmful chemical products from general viticultural practices. At certain times a curative treatment may be needed and all the options are considered before a decision is taken. We make extensive use of spot treatment rather than general treatment. This requires a lot more attention needed in the vineyards and we believe that this eventually results in a better quality wines. Following a biological viticulture practice may result in vineyards that appear more untidy or less uniform but we are convinced that a better quality wine is made that is more reflective of its origin.

Alien Clearing Project

The Cape is home to the world’s most diverse plant kingdom. This plant kingdom, locally known as fynbos, is under threat from alien species that are invading their natural habitat. At Quoin Rock we have an ongoing project to eradicate these species and re-establish the indigenous fynbos. For two years we have partnered with local government, who have contributed to the funding of these activities. The harvested alien species are composted for use in the vineyards as well as being sold for firewood.

Compost Production

Harvested alien species are put through a mulcher and the produce is composted together with the stems and grape skins collected after the harvest period. Cow manure is added to this material and the compost is prepared over a year before incorporated into the vineyards the following year. Our composts are enriched with Zeolite, Basalt, Kelp and plans are underway to develop a garden producing Comfrey, Yarrow and Alf alfa for addition to the composts.

Recycling

All waste is recycled. Plastic, metal, paper and glass is separated and taken into a recycling depot in Stellenbosch. All organic kitchen waste is composted and used for garden compost.

Homegrown Produce

Quoin Rock has a vegetable garden which produces healthy home grown veggies for the staff who work at Quoin Rock. Free range laying hens produce eggs which are also made available to the staff. Olive groves produce oil and citrus trees produce clementines in May. Quoin Rock also has a nursery where indigenous plants are reproduced and planted in the gardens.