Updated March 2021
Best wineries in Swartland
Swartland is the Wild (North) West of South Africa. A host of young and avant-garde winemakers (often described as “cowboys”) who are pushing the envelope on winemaking. Check out our guide to Swartland below for the best boutique producers and tasting tips.
In Swartland, you’ll find small family-owned wineries valuing artisanal techniques over commercial practices – distinguishing themselves from the well known wine regions of Stellenbosch, Franschoek, and Constantia. Swartland winemakers focus on all the buzzy (but truly indicative of quality) ways to make wine: biodynamic, organic, and natural.
Can’t beat the heat
The climate is dry and hot, allowing for disease-free berries, small and concentrated with flavor which really come through in the wines. On the drive through Swartland, you’ll see many non-trellised and low to the ground vines called “bush vines“. These vines are fairly drought resistant – an important quality with the water issues that South Africa has faced in recent years.
This was one of our favorite wine regions in South Africa, but there’s not a lot investment in wine tourism yet. As producers are quite lean, many do not have proper tasting rooms and might often be busy too busy to host tastings. We still think it’s worth a trip to see the terroir, taste at a local wine shop, and see if you’re lucky enough to score a tasting.
Keep your eye out for top producers in South Africa when choosing wines to drink at wine bars and restaurants all around the country.
How to get to Swartland
Located an hour and a half north of Cape Town by car, Swartland region can be visited as a day trip as we did, or as an overnight stay. There are some farm B&B’s, although we’d recommend staying close or in Riebeeck Kasteel as there are restaurants and a wine shop worth visiting.
The Wine Kollective
Unlike most wine regions, we recommend starting your journey in Swartland by visiting a wine bar & shop. The reason: The Wine Kollective is known as “the wine shop” for its impressive supply of local Swartland juice and the ability to taste with the owner, Anton Espost.
Anton is a winemaker himself and has a plethora of Swartland knowledge to share as he guides you through a tasting. The prices in the shop are very reasonable, so you may want to stock up. Especially if you’re visiting around harvest time, as tasting at the actual wineries may be very difficult.
Swartland producers we’re swooning over
Sadie Wines
The Sadie family, organic and biodynamic farm, is responsible for putting. Their higher echelon Columella (Syrah Mouvedre blend) and Palladius (Chenin Blanc and Viogner blend) are beautifully expressive, almost too perfectly balanced. The 2015 Palladius we found at Fyn restaurant in Cape Town blew our minds with it’s refreshing acidity and aromatic nose that continued to evolve throughout the night. This was one of our favorite bottles in South Africa.
Sadie’s single varietal wines are more affordable and still will not leave you disappointed. Their reputation combined with low production means these bottles can be difficult to come by. Tastings are by appointment only – plan to book a few days in advance.
Intellego
The winemaker has worked with Sadie Family and is now making his own label in Swartland. Minimal interventional, organic wine is his jam, but you’ll get no Robert Parker fruit bombs here. The skin contact Viogner (orange wine) has our heads spinning! And while Chenin Blanc is not our favorite varietal, we dig the Intellego Chenin from bush vines a lot. When tasting, make sure to ask about the bush vines practice and how it impacts the wine!
Testalonga
Winemaker Craig Hawkins worked with the Sadie Family for 6 years, and a number of other Swartland wineries before starting the Testalonga label in 2008 (are you sensing a theme?). He’s earned the nickname “Natural Wine King of South Africa”. He has two labels – El Bandito and Baby Bandito. Wines are all single varietal, single plots and we truly enjoyed each bottle.
Our favorite was the Baby Bandito – Keep on Punchin’ 100% Chenin. It’s hand picked, whole-bunch pressed and wild fermented. Bone Dry, with high acidity. Tastes of straw, lemon rind and wet stones. We’ve heard the pét-nat is incredible if you are lucky enough to find one!
AA Badenhorst
A very small producer, mainly making a white and red blend, and an occasional funky white or orange wine. The number of varietals in the blends might seem excessive, but they play well together in the bottle, producing truly well balanced low alcohol wines. The “Secateurs” label is the cheaper end label of their wines, which we weren’t huge fans of so recommend you steer towards his other labels.
Producers who source grapes from Swartland but have wineries elsewhere
Mullineux Wines
Chris and Andrea Mullineux worked several vintages around the world before settling in South Africa in 2007. Grapes come from the Swartland region and are beautifully made with minimal intervention in the cellar and maximum intervention on the vines. The Old Vine Chenin “Granite” is naturally fermented and demonstrated some incredible notes of minerality and citrus.
We also love the “Granite” and “Stone” Syrahs. The Leeu Passant label was good but not as great as the Mullineux label. The tasting room is appointment only and situated just off the main drag of Franschoeck, near Stellenbosch.
Hogan
The father daughter duo doesn’t try to take on the world, they focus one white Chenin Blanc and one Red Blend. They are focused on showing the terroir of the soil, and the variation that each year’s unique climate produces. Their production is in Stellenbosch, with grapes from Swartland and the Western Cape.
Thorne & Daughters
John Secombe rents space from Gabrielskloof in Bot River, but sources grapes and style from Swartland (as well as some grapes from the Western Cape). And in his extremely small production of around twenty thousand bottles, has nailed white blends in South Africa. We’re enthralled by the Rocking Horse White Blend and Paper Kite Old Vine Semillon. He’s quite busy given he’s basically a one man shop, but try to snag him for a tasting if you’re able to make a stop
Savage Winery
Duncan Savage sources his wine from 17 vineyard locations around Cape Town, including the Swartland region, traveling intensively throughout the year to ensure quality. This allows Savage to have more variety and choice in the grapes they use, making their collection of wines interesting and varied. Try reaching our for a tasting appointment in Cape Town, which might be possible in non-harvest months.
