Piekenierskloof

The Piekenierskloof takes its name from the Dutch soldiers known as the 'piqneniers' (pikemen) who were sent to the 'Groote Clooff' during the second Khoi-Dutch war in 1673 to protect convoys crossing this mountain pass. A rugged wilderness with naked rock formations. The gnarled bushvines of this region include Grenache noir vines that are said to have been planted on the Piekenierskloof plateau as early as the early 18th century. Legend has it that Napoleon Bonaparte drank a sweet wine made from these Grenache noir vines during his exile on the island of St Helena in the early 19th century. A unique terroir of dry farming at an altitude of 550-750 m above sea level and the cold, harsh marine influence of the west coast shape these individual wines.

Piekenierskloof has only recently become known as a wine region. In recent years, interest in this type of old, non-irrigated vineyards has increased significantly in South Africa, and Piekenierskloof came back into the picture. Nowadays, wines from Grenache Noir, Cinsault and Chenin Blanc are made in Piekenierskloof. It is warm during the day. At night, the wind from the Atlantic Ocean cools the grapes down considerably. These conditions are very favourable for the ripening of the grapes.