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. […]

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 […]