“A city set on a hill cannot be hidden”, declares a passage from the bible that inspired the name for André Bruyns’ small set up South of Malmesbury. It reflects his spirituality, but also his aspirations in showing what Swartland soils and vineyards are capable of.

“The Swartland is a magical place,” he declares. “Its strength lies in the sense of community, its soils and its vineyards.”

He launched City on a Hill in 2015 following stints at wineries in France, Tulbagh and in the Swartland. For André, southern France’s climatic conditions and plantings remind him of the Swartland.

He sources fruit from across the region and applies minimum intervention in the winery. The wines are fermented naturally in concrete and old oak barrels and bottled with only a coarse filtration.