South Africa celebrates National Heritage Day on September 24. As the region with the second-highest area after Stellenbosch of old vines, the Swartland certainly falls within the spotlight of the occasion. “Old vines make wine with a unique character,” declares the Old Vine Project (OVP), the organisation championing the protection of vineyards beyond 35 years […]

“The first wine I ever made was a wine that we made in our ‘koshuis’ at Simonsberg,” Jasper Wickens laughs and pours a glass of Swerwer Red blend in his cellar in the heart of the Paardeberg. “We decided to get some grapes from my friend Bryan MacRobert’s family farm in Malmesbury. Surprisingly, it just […]

Written by: Clifford Roberts; Photography: Johan Viljoen The Swartland region is famous for its wine and olives too. In fact, there are six Swartland olive farms you must visit all because they’re actually helping to save the world. That’s right. According to the United Nation’s International Olive Council, olive trees “have a positive carbon balance”, […]

Written by: Clifford Roberts; Photography: Johan Viljoen Map The Swartland Wine and Olive Route is often cited as the Cape’s best weekend getaway. The combination of rolling hills, vineyards and wheatfields, wilderness, quirky personalities, and genuine country hospitality – all minutes from Cape Town – are among its greatest attractions. The route’s website and office […]

Written by Clifford Roberts; photography Johan Viljoen Chenin blanc does so well in South Africa that it has in many respects become the country’s global calling card for quality wine. A significant part of this honour belongs to the Swartland, which is home to some 15% of these vineyards. It is in this region just […]

Written by Clifford Roberts; Photographs: Johan Viljoen Sometimes old stories need to be re-told, lest the lessons we’ve learned be forgotten. For the Swartland, this is certainly true when it comes to one of its foundational wine grape varieties. The story of Swartland and indeed South African wines cannot be told without reference to the […]

Written by: Clifford Roberts; Photography: Johan Viljoen It’s hard to believe that the world’s first recorded “long-distance” road trip by automobile – as reported by Wikipedia – extended just 106km. The distance may seem paltry now, but for what was essentially a carriage with an engine, the experimental Benz Patent-Motorwagen Number 3 was revolutionary for […]

If you’re passing by, you’ll feel there’s something in the air. These are no ordinary days in the Swartland. The reason? Wineries are in the thick of the annual grape harvest, an event greeted with exuberance on farms across the Cape winelands. This is the time that many small towns and villages come alive. For […]

Written by Clifford Roberts; Photography Johan Viljoen Of all the weird things to come out of the early days of Covid, one of the biggies must be the concept of sunning one’s perineum. We’ll leave you to google that for yourself. The point being, some thought it was natural. More natural however, and certainly more […]