Swartland

Fashionable wine-producing district in south africa which, since the late 1990s, has attracted some of the country’s most adventurous and least interventionist winemakers. This focus is partly explained by the relatively high percentage of older vineyards planted with varieties well suited to predominantly dryland viticulture. For red wines these are mainly Rhône varieties, while the whites are typically blends based on low-yielding old Chenin Blanc vineyards. There is a strong community spirit here and an energetic local association of Swartland Independent Producers.