Lying hidden within the picturesque Nyamasanga River Valley is Bushman Rock Estate Winery and Vineyard, currently the only boutique winery in Zimbabwe. Established in the late 1930’s the vineyards were originally planted to Italian varieties. The original winery; parts of which are still visible in the current Winery @ Bushman Rock was based around solid concrete vats and was inspired by the traditional wineries of Italy. Over the years the vineyards were moved away from the original varietals to more “noble French wine grape varieties.
Since 2007 significant investment has been made into the “quality” of the wine production. Although this investment is still ongoing the improvements to the production have already returned fantastic results. The introduction of improved crushing, cold settling and cold fermentation equipment has greatly improved the juice extraction. The introduction of oak maturation barrels, a small amount of stainless-steel and renovations to the original concrete storage vats resulted in greatly improved controls and consistency and new filtration machines and an updated bottling system have added greatly to the Winery’s production value.
Our products are available through the unique “Zimbabwean Wine Tasting Experience” and we offer complimentary delivery to Harare for orders of $50 or over. Contact us to order wine or to book a Zimbabwean Wine Tasting Experience.
Although Zimbabwe is not well known as a grape growing region, the Mashonaland East Province has been highlighted as having very good vinicultural potential. The sandy soils allow for good drainage and the summer sun ensures good ripening and suitable sugar levels. The cool winters and higher than average altitude ensures that the vines go dormant, recharging for the next year’s production.
With all the above Mashonaland East remains one of the premier tobacco farming areas in the country. The steep sided Nyamasanga Valley however, proved to be a very difficult area to farm tobacco or other commercial crops. The poor soils of decomposed granite and the susceptibility of the soil to erosion and nutrient leaching resulted in the Western banks of Nyamasanga River being planted to vineyards in the late 1930s.
At an altitude of over 1400m (4500feet) the Bushman Rock vineyards are some of the highest in Africa. This altitude brings winter frosts ensuring winter dormancy and brings beautifully sunny hot days in early summer. Although the region does receive summer rainfall this tends to fall towards the end of harvest and the sandy decomposed granite soils of steep sided valley ensure that the vines are never saturated as the water either runs off or percolates quickly away from the vines.
Over the years the vineyards have been planted to various “hobby vines”, developmental and experimental vines, traditional Italian and French Vines. In order to bring a little consistency and uniformity to the Bushman Rock wine range the vineyards have been extensively although not exclusively replanted over the past 10 years to noble French varietals with a leaning towards the Bordeaux regions staples of:
Red
- Cabernet Franc,
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Merlot
White
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Semillon
In addition to the above we retained a number of previously planted vines such as
Red
- Pinotage
- Syrah
- Alicante Bouschet
White
- Chardonnay
- Viognier
The specially selected noble vine varietals combine with our unique terroir ensure lively, vibrant wines that are completely unique in their style. At Bushman Rock we understand that one’s relationship with wine is personal, and believe that all visitors, whether wine connoisseurs or complete beginners will enjoy our diverse range.
For enquiries, orders or tasting options, please get in touch with us, and if you would like to be updated on our products and events, subscribe to our newsletter.
Nelia Kanyasa – Nelia has been a part of the Bushman Rock family since December 2012. Having studied Viticulture in the then Yugoslavia at the University of Novi Sad, Nelia returned to Zimbabwe in 1990 to take up a position as a Trainee Winemaker at the Mukuyu Winery in Marondera where she steadily rose through the ranks to become the winemaker. Nelia (and the whole Mukuyu team) were always amazingly supportive of Bushman Rock and assisted with advice and suggestions during the vineyard rejuvenation process. Once the decision was made to improve the wines we immediately approached Nelia to assist and she has overseen some of the most exciting developments in Bushman Rock wines since joining us.
At Bushman Rock, we believe in sharing our knowledge and although we are one of the few wineries in Zimbabwe, we also believe in education and the power of shared experiences. In order to introduce Zimbabweans to the huge array of work opportunities that surround wines internationally we have accepted two of the top students from Chinhoyi University of Technology Food Science Degree Program on a one year “industrial placement year”. It is our hope that these students will go on to pursue further studies in the greater wine industry and look forward to enjoying some of their award-winning wines in the years to come.
Mashonaland East
Tel: +263 772 156 119, +263 735 284 338, +263 732 476 549
E-mail: bookings@bushmanrock.com