“Our vision at Idiom is to preserve the Cape’s natural heritage so that guests can walk into a living landscape – untouched fynbos, dramatic mountain slopes, and the wildlife that has always called it home. To see a leopard’s spoor on the trail, a bontebok on the horizon, or a malachite sunbird darting through indigenous blossoms is to glimpse the Cape as it was meant to be experienced. This is the wonder we are committed to sharing: a landscape kept whole, beautiful, and thriving for generations to come.” – Alberto Bottega

Idiom Wine Farm, part of the Bottega Family Wines portfolio, is reinforcing its role as a steward of the natural environment with a suite of initiatives that protect and celebrate the remarkable biodiversity of the Western Cape. The farm’s sustainability journey now extends well beyond the vineyard rows into the indigenous fynbos and rugged mountain slopes that define the Helderberg landscape.

Ongoing clearing of invasive alien vegetation is restoring the vital water catchment areas, allowing the indigenous vegetation to flourish, re-establishing the natural fire resilience and improving soil health. As part of our sustainability journey, we have begun training our own in-house alien clearing team committed to minimising the use of herbicides, which potentially cause long-term harm to the ecosystem and the people using them. The physical removal of saplings by the root, the felling and strip-barking of larger trees, allows us to clear areas, leaving a healthy, untarnished ecosystem restoring the indigenous plant communities to their natural beauty and resilience, leaving them better able to resist the resurgence of the invasive species.

The Cape Floristic Region is the native habitat of the Cape honeybee (Apis melifera capensis). This hardworking endemic pollinator is an essential part of the natural ecosystem while also providing valuable pollination services to the agricultural systems, which provide employment and upliftment to so many of our local residents. In balance with the natural rhythms, we have established a network of hives providing pollination to the vineyards and fynbos of the estate. These hives are kept at a low density and confined to the agricultural areas. This reduces the competition of with other indigenous pollinators while allowing for the benefits to be felt by the farm and the fynbos. Using the natural efficiency of the bees, we produce small batches of local honey that reflects the region’s unique terroir.

At the heart of these efforts is one of the Western Cape’s most elusive inhabitants – the Cape leopard (Panthera pardus pardus). Idiom works closely with the Cape Leopard Trust, supporting the monitoring and protection of these apex predators. Once limited to traditional spoor tracking, research now incorporates motion-triggered camera traps that provide vital insights into their movements and behaviour. Data gathered on the Idiom estate feeds directly into the Leopard Data Portal, advancing citizen science and strengthening regional conservation knowledge.

Cape leopards -smaller and more secretive than their African relatives – are critical to the balance of these fragile mountain ecosystems. Yet their habitats face mounting pressure from human encroachment and the fragmentation of natural corridors. By safeguarding these areas and sharing data with scientists and conservationists, Idiom plays an active role in ensuring the species’ survival.

This commitment recently came to life at a fundraising dinner on the Idiom estate, where the tasting room and restaurant were transformed into a space for conservation storytelling and fine dining. Guests enjoyed a curated menu paired with Idiom’s award-winning wines while Senior Researcher Anita Wilkinson of the Cape Leopard Trust unveiled findings from the latest Boland camera-trap survey, spanning Piketberg to the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve and including the Helderberg Basin.

The intimate evening and conservation discussion raised R7,500 through ticket sales, which the Bottega family generously matched, delivering a total contribution of R15,000 toward leopard conservation.

“We are committed to preserving the wild spaces that make this region extraordinary,” said Andrew Jackson, who oversees conservation projects and the safari drives at Idiom. “Protecting Cape leopards is a natural extension of our philosophy that great wines are born from thriving ecosystems.”

With plans for continued habitat restoration, expanded bee-keeping, education programmes, and ongoing wildlife monitoring, Idiom Wine Farm offers guests the chance to explore the landscape rooted in shared values of sustainability, research, and respect for South Africa’s natural heritage.

Idiom Wine Eco-Safari Drive

Embark on an unforgettable adventure at Idiom Wine Farm, where vineyards meet wilderness. Our eco-safari drive takes you through rolling vineyards, pristine fynbos, and a private nature reserve at the foot of the Helderberg Mountains.

Marvel at panoramic views of False Bay, Table Mountain, and Cape Point as you encounter indigenous wildlife – Zebra (quagga), Springbok, Bontebok, and Blue wildebeest – roaming freely in this natural habitat. Along the way, learn about Idiom’s conservation projects, from alien vegetation clearing and bee hives to the Cape leopard monitoring programme.

Book your Idiom Wine Eco-Safari Drive today and experience a rare convergence of nature, vineyards, and wildlife in the heart of Somerset West.

Contact Information: Idiom Wines
Tel: +27 21 8581088 | Email: reservations@idiom.co.za | Website: www.idiom.co.za