Ep 292: The Secret, Stunning Wine of Swartland, South Africa

Just 40 miles/65 km north of Cape Town lies a large area that makes the most exciting, sought after wines in South Africa. Swartland (Dutch for 'black land') is full of young, passionate winemakers making wines that respect the hot, dry land from which they derive and are able to create wines of such depth, flavor, and nuance that it’s hard to believe so few know about them. In this show, we tell you about the Syrah, Rhône and Mediterranean varietals, the Chenin Blanc and other stunning white blends coming from this area and why you need to seek it out ASAP!

 

Overview of the region…

• Swartland was oncea rural backwater, better known for wheat fields than vineyards
• Vineyards traditionally grew where wheat couldn’t -- on the northern side of Paardeberge Mountains in the south, the plains of Piketberg in the north, and the smaller Ward of Riebeekberg and Kasteelberg Mountains in the east
• Lots of old vines on slopes where nothing else grows, hand harvested
• The climate ishot and dry with very low summer rainfall but with consistent afternoon and evening breezes off the Atlantic Ocean. Growers have less concern about fungus and other diseases. They use the ecosystem to keep the vineyards healthy with integrated pest management, bush training of vines, and dry farming

 

We dork out on plate tectonics!

• Swartland has ancient geology. The terroirresulted from a combination of tectonic collisions, ancient volcanic activity and continental separation
• The soils are the oldest in the world and are a mix of shale, arenite sandstone and granite, schist based terroirs. Malmesbury shale on Kasteelberg Mtn is the dominant soil.
  • vertical layering structure caused by tectonic shifts. Water drains away and vines dig deeper for liquid nourishment

 

Grapes/Winemaking

• We talk about the grapes and terroir driven wines of the region
  • Red grapes: Syrah/Shiraz, Mourvèdre, Grenache Noir, Carignan, Cinsaut, Tinta Barocca, Pinotage
  • White grapes:Chenin blanc, Grenache blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier, Clairette, Palomino, Sémillon, Muscat d’Alexandria, Muscat d’Frontignan, Colombard and Verdelho.
  • Viticulture:A lot of natural, noninvasive methods of farming
  • Winemaking:larger barrels that impart less flavor, less racking and stirring to keep earthy flavors, unfiltered, unfined wines – low input wines
• The Ward of Riebeekbergnear the towns of Riebeek Kasteel and Riebeek West has vineyards on eastern slopes of the Kasteelberg Mountain make big reds of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chenin Blanc, and Chardonnay that are complex

  

We talk about South African and Swartland Wine history

• We discuss how South Africa lies somewhere between the Old World and New World styles.
• We discuss the early history in the 1660s, with the arrival of the French Huguenots who planted vineyards.
• We tell the story of how, in late 1990s, Charles Back of Goats do Roam fame went to Swartland to source grapes and wound up transforming the area by  buying land and hiring Eben Sadie to run his “Spice Route” wines in 1998.
• We discuss the modern history of the region and why it takes a special person to make wine in conditions withlow rainfall, un-irrigated vines and paltry yields.

  

Producers and the Swartland revolution

• We discuss Swartland Independent Producers (SIP), an association that runs the Swartland Revolution celebration every November
• Their goal: Wines that are a true expression of their origin. Like old world AOPs -- distinctive wines but also making them so as to speak about a sense of place
• See the list of requirements and the producers here:  https://swartlandindependent.co.za/members/

  

Top producers

• AA Badenhorst: AA Badenhorst Family White,  AA Badenhorst Family Red are flagships; Secateurs produced from purchased fruit
• Lammershoek:Traditional producer
• Testalonga:“naked” style, funky wines
• Lammershoek:Libero No. 5
• Mullineux: Syrahs and white blends; entry level Kloof Street
• Porseleinberg 
• Sadie Family: Columella – Syrah-based blend (famous), Palladius – rich style white; cheaper, co-owned Sequillo range

 

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