Swartland Independents

One of the big stories from this year’s Cape Wine conference, which wrapped-up on September 27 in Cape Town, was the emergence of the Independent Swartland Producers. This is a loose collection of mostly young winemakers and farmers , which is in part supported by Marc Kent and Boekenhoutskloof (which grows Syrah for its Porseleinberg label) and seems also to look to founding memberand New-Swartland pioneer Adi Badenhorst for inspiration.

The independents wowed the international wine press, and many fellow exhibitors from established regions like Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek, with their straight forward Chenin Blancs and Syrahs, made from half-century old vines that heretofore had served as providers of cheap jiuce for co-ops and other bulk wine operations. While wines varied greatly, they were all made in a spirit of minimalist intervention and expression of terroir.

I managed to get a few interviews for the video below with some of the younger winemakers from the Swartland Independents on the first day of the conference. When I went back the second day, their stall was mobbed and it was too noisy to do anything but taste. Watch this space for more coverage from Cape Wine 2012 in the next week or two.

Can’t see the video? Click here.

PS. Lammershoek wines come regularly into the LCBO Vintages program, check out lammershoek.co.za or bokkwines.com for more information.

Malcolm Jolley is a founding editor of Good Food Revolution and Executive Director of Good Food Media, the not-for-profit corporation which publishes it. Follow him at twitter.com/malcolmjolley