Written by Clifford Roberts; photography Johan Viljoen Small isn’t something one might first associate with the region.  Its wheatfields spread to the horizon, somehow also making the sky seem bigger than it is. Yet it’s the small beginnings that are celebrated by, for example, the basket press that is the logo of the wine and […]

Written by Eben Sadie, The Sadie Family Wines Global warming is on everyone’s lips and the debate has many polar arguments,  but one thing stands for sure:  current data affirms it as a future reality and today’s delayed response becomes the  “too late” of tomorrow. Arguments aside: even if the globe is not warming, getting […]

By Anton Pretorius In the warm and wild Swartland, winemakers and grape-growers live by the mantra that good wine starts in the vineyard and is nurtured in the cellar. André Bruyns, winemaker and owner of City on a Hill, is a firm believer of this philosophy. At first glance, André doesn’t strike you as a […]

Author: Clifford Roberts; Photographer: Johan Viljoen (unless otherwise specified) At first glance, there’s little remarkable about the Paardeberg. The low cluster of granite mounds just over half the height of Table Mountain seems out of place in a landscape dominated by sprawling wheat fields and patches of vineyard. But road trippers would be wrong to […]

Harvest 2021 has been above expectation for the new ‘Riebeek Boutique Cellar’.  With the longest harvest season to date and exciting new wine projects, it has been a marathon for the entire team. But we are all excited about this vintage and especially the new wine innovations. From vinifying 15 ha of newly certified Old […]

It’s a milestone year for the Swartland. In March 1986 – 35 years ago – the region’s wine route, now officially named the Swartland Wine & Olive Route, came into being. As with reflection all such events, the rarely easy journey of how things came to be is worth remembering, particularly when it comes to […]

What started in 2003 as a dream of owning a small boutique wine cellar and selling a premium product under the proud Brink family name, turned into one of South Africa’s biggest privately owned family wineries! Today Pulpit Rock Winery is a modern and state-of-the-art facility with a capacity of 6000 tons, where the grapes […]

Porseleinberg winery is perched high on top of “Porcelain Mountain”, a rugged outcrop near Riebeek Kasteel in the Swartland.   To get to the winery is an adventure in itself, especially if you are a first-time visitor; the views and the wine make it all worth the effort though.    The reputation of Porseleinberg wines has […]

February might be the month of love, but a cursory search of the internet suggests that December is in fact the most popular for engagements. Still, you’ll need to come up with a great location to treat the apple of your eye and we’ve put together a short list of great venues in the Swartland. […]