Cecilia Wines

Cecilia Wines is located in Olifantsrivier and is named after the grandmother of winemaker Cerina van Niekerk and patron saint of musicians, St. Cecilia. Cerina van Niekerk, who is not only a winemaker but also a trained concert pianist, started Cecilia Wines because of her involvement in a local music project. For this project, Cerina produces a wine, Cecilia Pinotage, which comes from old bushvines from a non-irrigated vineyard at an altitude of about 400 meters in the hills between Clanwilliam and the Atlantic Ocean. The vineyard was planted in 1965 and produces a very low yield of grapes of exceptional quality.

Cerina van Niekerk grew up in Paarl, in the heart of the Cape Winelands, but love and wine brought her to the Olifants River region. There she works as a winemaker at Klawer Wine Cellars and Cecilia Wines. During her high school years, she spent a lot of time at a piano, but a desire to be involved in agriculture led to a Diploma in Enology at the Elsenburg Agricultural College. The travel bug led to vintage experiences in New Zealand, France, Australia and the USA before settling down as a winemaker in Paarl in 2003 at the former Seidelberg Wine Estate. In 2018, Cerina and her husband Jaco moved to Citrusdal, where he leads production for Piekenierskloof Wines. This opened up new possibilities for Cecilia Wines. Together with Jaco, she founded a non-profit company to manage the funds and other resources of her music project. The most recent development is the appointment of a music teacher who will teach weekly at various schools and after-school care centres from January 2021, in addition to teaching on individual instruments.