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 […]

Written by Clifford Roberts; Photography by Johan Viljoen This blog post is a continuation of a two-part entry. It sets out the characteristics that give the Swartland its identity, which is why we’ve drawn up an A to Z of the region. It’s not an exhaustive list, but if you’re planning a staycation in these […]

Written by Clifford Roberts; Photographer Johan Viljoen Every region has characteristics that give it identity. First to mind for the Swartland may be the wheatfields and vineyards, olive groves and hamlets. But there is so much more, which is why we’ve drawn up an A to Z of the Swartland. It’s not an exhaustive list, […]

There has always been something inherently riveting about having a meal in the Swartland. After all, this is the place associated with the first written record of the word boerekos, translated directly from Afrikaans as “farmer’s food”. We’ve come to understand that concept as meal being wholesome, generally large and traditional. But, it’s a word […]

Written by Nadia Sadie & Corrien Basson; Copy editing by Anna-Bet Stemmet One of the most satisfying things in life is watching hard work pay off. This is especially true when recognition is received where it is due. We recently experienced a rewarding moment of this kind when Benjamin Booysen and Randall Julies received awards […]

Written by Clifford Roberts A defining characteristic of the South African wine industry is the family. There are many examples of farms with ancestry going back centuries. This is also true of the Swartland, some prominent examples of which are highlighted here. How does this influence the experience of visitors? What does this mean for […]

Written by Helena (the cousin who does the social media & stuff); Photographs supplied It has obviously been a strange and stressful year for small businesses, especially wineries, alcohol restrictions were in place for 4 of the last 18 months! I’m paraphrasing here but I think if Pliny the Elder was around he would agree: […]

The trophy winners of the Swartland Young Wine show 2021