SWARTLAND
STORIES
The Wine Kollective: The only little wine shop in the universe dedicated to Swartland wines
Bosberaad, Supernova, Filia, Porseleinberg, Stay Brave, Keep on Punching, El Pervertido, Skermunkel. Sounds like a rather epic line-up of multi-language superheroes or a superb collection of dystopian fantasy novels, doesn’t it? Nope. This is but one expertly curated shelf of inspiring wines that you will encounter at The Wine Kollective in Riebeek Kasteel – the […]
Wedding Venues of the Swartland
As winter slowly starts to pack her bags to go on annual leave to the north, the Southern hemisphere welcomes the infinite new possibilities of spring. Springtime is a beautiful time in the Swartland – the perfect time to fall in love and promise eternal betrothal to a life partner. When looking for the […]
The accidental magic of Môrelig Vineyards and Wightman & Sons
Situated at the foot Paardeberg Mountain in the Swartland region of the Western Cape, South Africa, Môrelig Vineyards is the domain of father-and-son duo Andrew and Brandon Wightman – a pair of avid farmers and artisanal winemakers that happened upon their calling by accident. It all started in 2011, when Andrew and his wife Elise […]
Walk in the footsteps of organic pioneers at Org de Rac in the Swartland
Org de Rac Organic Wine Estate in the Swartland is pretty hard to miss. Situated on the slopes of the Piketberg hills on the N7, it perches proudly on the special soils and elevations that make its wines so remarkable. We recently caught up with cellar master Frank Meaker to discuss the winery’s role as […]
PLACE ABOVE PROGRESS – Eben Sadie on old vines, new cultivars and bottling the Swartland
Eben Sadie from The Sadie Family Wines is a legend in winemaking circles. If you know your South African wines, chances are you’ve either enjoyed or coveted a bottle of Columella and Palladius – the signature blends that garnered Eben global success and drew the world’s attention to the singular terroir of the Swartland at […]
Where is the Swartland? A concise guide to South Africa’s maverick wine route
Where on earth is the Swartland? If you’ve been keeping your finger on the pulse of the South African wine industry over the last few years, chances are you’ve heard about the maverick wine route that’s been making waves somewhere along the west coast, and you’ve meant to get out here to see what the […]
Awaken your palate at Kloovenburg Wine and Olive Estate in the Riebeek Valley
Kloovenburg Wine & Olive Estate in the Riebeek Valley is one of those historic South African farms that takes your breath away. It’s at once vibrant and innovative, and also inextricably woven into the very fabric of the Swartland. The estate as it stands at the foot of Kasteelberg today has been farmed in some […]
Two Fun things you can get up to at Pulpit Rock Winery this weekend
If you’ve been looking for a great weekend day trip within 90 minutes’ drive from Cape Town, we’ve got just the spot – Pulpit Rock Winery in the Riebeek Valley is waiting to welcome you, and they’ve got a whole lot of fun things to see and do while you’re there. The winery is the […]
Allesverloren: Danie Malan on losses, gains and the singular appeal of the Swartland
As the oldest estate in the Swartland, the fascinating history of Allesverloren in the Riebeek valley can be traced back all the way to the late-1600s, when this area was still the local version of the Wild West. We recently caught up Danie Malan, the fifth-generation Malan to farm on this legendary piece of land, […]