Org de Rac has, like most other Cape wine farms, hit the ground running in the new year. Although harvest is two weeks later, like much of the Cape Winelands, we have picked Pinot Noir for Cap Classique and the Roussanne. Our organic vineyards appear to be in exceptionally good health, the result of a […]

Author: Clifford Roberts ; Photographer: Johan Viljoen (unless otherwise mentioned) Planning a break to the Swartland? We’ve put together a handful of reasons to give Malmesbury a second look. The town, just 70km north of Cape Town, is commonly a halfway to somewhere else. Perhaps a fuel-stop or just a quick leg-stretch. Indeed, Malmesbury’s central […]

The Olive Boutique is a proudly South African, Olive Oil, Olive and Vinegar Tasting Bar located in Riebeek Kasteel, in the Riebeek Valley, offering a range of high quality, boutique, extra virgin olive oils, fermented fruit vinegars, gourmet table olives, olive pastes, seasoning salts and olive oil based body care products. Each season we bring […]

We’ve taken a thorn out of planning your visit to the Swartland, and compiled a list of open hours of some of the most popular wine and olive destinations. The information below was gleaned from the producer websites as well as from wineries, telephonically. We are keen to welcome and share our beautiful region with […]

The Swartland has a host of events and activities planned for the summer holidays this year. Here’s a list, which includes exciting newcomers too. 1. Riebeek Valley Trails Launched in recent weeks, this initiative offers a series of guided trails showcasing the wine and olive farms that line the Kasteelberg Mountain. It’s an excellent way […]

Author: Pieter Carstens It is grain harvest time in the Swartland and Willie Dreyer (owner of Leeuwenkuil), like many other farmers in the area, spend most of his day driving a combine harvester. If you want to visit him during this time, you need to drive deep into the beautiful Paardeberg area of the Swartland […]

The year 2020 will certainly be long remembered and written about in the history books. School children will learn about the world wide Covid-19 pandemic, it’s devastating effect on the economy, but also about the tenacity of people and how some searched and found opportunities amidst the crisis. The Lammershoek farming community is certainly one […]

Author Clifford Roberts; Photographer Johan Viljoen There’s plenty of modern-day evidence of the Swartland’s long history in wine grape farming. While some of oldest examples of locally farmed cultivars exist in the region, it wasn’t until the 1990’s that grape production rose to its current status as significant agricultural crop. Grain farming on the other […]

Over the past 79 years of winemaking in the Swartland region, ‘tenacity against the odds’ and ‘a boer maak ‘n plan’ attitude have rung true for Riebeek Valley Wine Co through war and peace, drought and flood and certainly during the COVID-19 pandemic. For Riebeek Valley Wine Co 2020 has been the year for re-evaluating, […]