South Africa has more Chenin Blanc vineyards than any other country and Breedekloof is Chenin’s home ground. Chenin Blanc represents 18% of all South Africa’s vineyards and the Breedekloof Wine Valley has 15% of all Chenin Blanc plantings and supplies 21% or one-fifth of all the wine made from Chenin in South Africa. Not only do we have more Chenin Blanc vineyards than any other wine country, but the history of South African winemaking is steeped in Chenin Blanc, so if there is a breed of winemakers who know how to work with this variety, it is South Africa’s. This has prompted the Breedekloof winemakers to produce small quantities of sight specific Chenin Blanc using innovative winemaking methods, expressing terroirs, especially old vineyards, which has resulted in the BREEDEKLOOF MAKERS.

Important to note that this is a collaborative initiative. The idea was never to be a next Swartland. For us it is an honest and natural collaboration of stakeholders in the Breedekloof, which is a wine farming community consisting of 80% of farm owners who have farmed for 3 generations or more. One of the main aims of the BREEDEKLOOF MAKERS is to elevate the profile of the Breedekloof Wine of Origin. This region, the backbone of the South African wine industry, is largely seen to be one characterized by large producer cellars. While Breedekloof unapologetically supplies value-for-money wines to the local and international market, the region has the geography and wine producing DNA to also make top-quality wines of an individualistic nature expressing the unique traits of the region. The BREEDEKLOOF MAKERS aims to open up the Breedekloof as a premier wine making region of South Africa.

To find out more of the Breedemakers, click here.