Once the farm was theirs, Bernhard Veller spent the next few years from 1992 'taking an odd couple of weeks off work' and, with the help of Klaas and Pufford (the little tractor that could), set to planting his first few hectares of vines. These comprised mainly cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and cabernet franc, as well as some pinotage.
'I've always loved Bordeaux, but we did also plant varieties on the advice of viticulturists and oenologists as they are all well suited to our soils.'
At that stage, it was just going to be a hobby, 'making a couple of barrels to share with mates'. But in 1994 his parents moved down to the Cape from Johannesburg, his father became involved, and it was decided to go a little bigger 'and make some wine to sell commercially'.
By 1995 Bernhard Veller had established some 10 hectares of vines, converted the old tractor shed into a simple cellar and, with the help of Elsenburg winemaking lecturer and consultant Eugene van Zyl, vinified his first wines: about 500 cases of a cabernet and pinotage and 1 000 of sauvignon blanc (from grapes bought in from a neighbour".
When, in 1996, the Nitida Sauvignon Blanc 1995 debuted with a Veritas double gold, it had wine people agog. It was one of a growing number of early examples of the ageing potential of the Cape's cool-climate sauvignon blanc. This encouraged Bernhard to plant his own sauvignon vines, together with some sémillon, the classic partner to sauvignon in traditional Bordeaux whites.
Sauvignon blanc now makes up about half of his 16 hectares of vines and Nitida's wines have regularly been rated among the Cape's top proponents. The self-taught winemaker was also instrumental in forming the Sauvignon Blanc Interest Group for winemakers and wine lovers in the 1990s.
Bernhard's precocious success as a small, independent grower, bottling and marketing his own wines and inviting wine lovers to the farm to taste and buy, heralded the arrival in the mid-1990s of Durbanville in the wine-loving public's consciousness as a source of top-quality wines. In 1995, the name Nitida stood strong and proud on the shelf among just a handful of local labels.
His tiny, family-run winery producing limited quantities of hand-crafted premium wine provided the impetus to others to do the same. This resulted in the official founding in 2004 of the Durbanville Wine Valley Association, 12 members are proud by 2012 and a hub of innovative wine, food and music festivals, invariably strongly family-orientated.
'Being small, hands-on, and focussed on offering the personal touch, we believed right from the start that the easiest, most cost-effective and meaningful way to sell our wine was to bring people to the farm to experience the Nitida lifestyle.' It gave rise to several Nitida ventures over the years, including picnics with live music, farmers' markets, wine and food festivals, and different kinds of eateries.
'We always felt strongly about offering food with our wine. On our travels in Australia, we didn't come across one wine farm that didn't provide something to eat: even if it was just a hamburger and chips!'
Today, Nitida has its own two restaurants that are run by chefs they've found, through trial and error, to share their way of thinking when it comes to quality and service. Tables at Nitida is a daytime venue, set within the lawns just below the cellar, while Cassia restaurant and banqueting venue are suspended over the farm dam with views down the valley over the vineyards.
'We're a family farm and we want people, the locals as well as visitors from further afield, to be able to relax and enjoy good food and fine wine that is also well priced, in a stylish but friendly, fun-loving environment.'
Barbecued beef sirloin with three spontaneous salads recipe by Bernhard Veller....
Roast herbed chicken and Mediterranean vegetables on ciabatta with potato salad recipe by Bernhard Veller....