Winemaking at Spier is about using the best resources at all levels.

The land under vine for the production of Spier Wines' brands has grown from 57 hectares to 560 hectares in the past ten years. Of this, 170 hectares are owned by Spier, 240 hectares are under long term contract, and the remaining 150 hectares are under medium- to long-term lease.

Spier's own vineyards include Spier in Stellenbosch and Nooitgedacht in Paarl. Its long term lease / partnership vineyards include Helderberg near Stellenbosch and Burgherspost in Darling. The company also sources grapes from the Coastal region, including Stellenbosch, Durbanville, Darling, Elgin, Helderberg, Overberg, and Wellington.

In 2009, for the first time, organic grapes were sourced from a vineyard in Koekenaap. These were used to produce Spier's first ‘wine made from organic grapes'; a Sauvignon Blanc.

Senior Viticulturist Johann Smit has spent the past nine years establishing strict vineyard procedures to create a balance between the quantity of grapes produced and the vigour of vine growth. His excellent relationship with the long-term growers has seen the quality in the vineyards boom.

Johann's immense respect for terroir – the natural features of a vineyard – allows the unique and natural flavours of each grape cultivar to be expressed in the wines. The interplay between an area and its terroir is of vital importance, therefore specific areas are chosen to produce specific wine cultivars; and specific vineyard blocks are set aside for each range and brand.

The natural features of terroir include:

• Soil types. Within the Spier vineyards these include Avalon, Clovelly, Fernwood, Glenrosa, Hutton, Klapmuts, Longlands, Oakleaf, Swartland and Tukulu.
• Climate. Temperatures in winter drop as low as 8°C in the Helderberg vineyard, rising to a maximum of 29°C in summer in Paarl.
• Altitude and slope. The vineyards are located between 50 and 400m above sea level.
• Rainfall. The average yearly rainfall varies from 650 to 1000mm per year.

All Spier vineyards enjoy cooling ocean breezes; enabling a long, cool ripening period, and healthy, flavourful fruit.