In 1948, 15 wheat farmers gathered in Malmesbury‘s movie house to establish Swartland Winery in order to press their own grapes and gain independence from KWV. The first Chairman, Pieter Loubser, donated 4 hectares of his farm, Doornkuil for the building of the winery. Within two year, 48 member farmers were supplying 5 500 tons of grapes annually
Today, Swartland Winery, situated about 3km outside of Malmesbury on the road to Paarl, has become the biggest cellar on the Swartland Wine Route & one of the ten largest in the country in terms of volume exported. Member farms extend for a 22 km radius in the hills surrounding Malmesbury, covering roughly 3 600 hectares.
The Winery has the capacity to process more than 23 000 tons of grapes from the wine farms spread out on the hills around Malmesbury. The Winery exports wine to, & among others like Europe, UK; America, Africa & Scandinavian countries; China & UAE.
Swartland Winery forms part of the local wine industry as well, which consist of more than 5500 producers, delivering some 3% of the world’s wine. The winery is building its brand locally & internationally through quality, value for money & consistency.
Today, Swartland Winery produces approximately 2 million bottles of wine per year & export about 45% to more than 45 countries. It has its own packaging facility for bottled & bag-in-box products.
Today Swartland Winery is one of the leading wineries in South Africa.
Swartland Slogan: Small berries, big taste! A wine suited for every occasion.
What makes Swartland Winery so unique:
- Lowest yield per hectare in South Africa
- Regarded as the “Gem of South Africa”
- Popular tourist destination
- Micro climates are created by cool Atlantic Ocean breezes from the West Coast.
- Bush vines are unique to this region and deliver:-Small grapes-with high concentration flavours-lending complexity to the wines. Swartland Winery is the official “Home of Bush Vine Wines”
The Swartland wine region of the Western Cape encompasses a uniquely diverse topographic area, with a myriad of microclimates, soils and sites which give rise to wines of full flavour and complexity.
Swartland Winery unique selling points
- Flexible yet consistent winemaking
- Premium lifestyle wines
- Wine styles developed for specific markets and consumer palates
- Wines are produced true and reflective of its terroir
- Source entry level wines to be price competitive and market driven
- Swartland over deliver on quality vs price ratio
Tasting Room @ the Winery:
Indulge in a gorgeous cheese platter piled generously with local cheeses, biltong, charcuterie (optional), figs, olives, ciabatta, and crackers; or order a sandwich or a light meal to tide you over while you get ready to explore the rest of the Swartland Wine- and Olive Route. There are also various kid-friendly options, grape juice and a fantastic jungle gym on offer, so the little ones are catered for as well.
