in the summer time when the harvest is fine!

Just look at these, Chenin Blanc grapes from the 1957 planting - one of the oldest vineyards in the Paardeberg!

This cask (above) is for Cornelia's own consumption. Every year Adi makes a wine especially for his wife.  This year, Chardonnay! (it must be love)

 Above and below, other casks furiously fermenting... 

Jasper and Meike (our German intern) loading the (in)famous Klappomp - unique to Kalmoesfontein and says Adi, "it makes other winemakers nervous"...

for the love of meat and wine

When you think about celebrating Valentine’s Day you probably conjure up pictures of pretty couples eating dinner by candlelight. Maybe you envision tacky window displays of hearts and bouquets of red roses or cuddly toys and boxes of chocolates... 

We head over to Melissa’s Food Shop on Kloof Street and did it a little different this year. Keeping in mind that 2012 is a leap year, we catered for the men and took care of South Africans’ biggest love affairs: braai, wine and humour.

Infamous Afrikaans Rap artist Jack Parow tanned a few lamb chops on the braai, deliciously marinated in his own Parow Braai Sauce. Food from the Karoo meats, available at all Melissa’s Food Shops, is the real deal – no preservatives, no additives, in fact no human interference at all. Just lamb, as nature intended it to be.

Together Adi and Jack were the Hairy Beasts, a theme inspired by the quirky gingerbread person range Melissa's got into store for the month of love. Adi poured guests some of our fine wines, also on sale at Melissa’s (Kloof Street and Stellenbosch stores only) from the entry level ‘value for money’ Secateurs to the ‘spoil your wife’ premium range - the Badenhorst Family Wines. 

Parow Sauce and Secateurs - the love affair of the day!

Kids at Jan v Riebeek High School across the road, screaming for Jack's attention!

working weekends

On Saturday our financial manager Gerrie got out of his office chair, put on some shorts and left the aircon behind to come help harvest on Kalmoesfontein. He brought his cute kids to lend another two pairs of hands (we are all for child labour here in the Swartland).

Gerrie with Alexander and Lenae.

Cheer up buddy, one day you can also drink wine! 

The "karookop shiraz" was everywhere.

Jasper sustained some minor injuries, but nothing worth writing home blogging about.

Are you excited yet!?

Victoria Moore meets the next generation of winemakers at South African wine festival Swartland Revolution and concludes: 'When it comes to wine, nowhere in South Africa is as exciting as Swartland right now!'

Moore attended the Swartland Revolution in Riebeek in November last year and writes a very nice article for The Telegraph. 

Read the whole story here. 

A spiritual journey for SA wines

Matthew Jukes, considered by many to be the most influential wine writer in the UK, turns his attention to South African wine after confessing "Are you, like me, one of those people who doesn’t really get South African wine? ... Well, it is time to think again because this mindset is completely and utterly outdated. "


He visited the Cape winelands, and the Swartland, in June and give a very insightful report on the current and future state of SA wine industry.


As he explains: "There is a very strong identity building in South Africa right now surrounding what other countries term ‘Young Guns’.  Young Guns are, by way of explanation, not necessarily young people, but they have a fresh, international view, and often a wide skill-set, which is rare in the wine business.  They also happen to be the people with their names or brands on the label.  They usually operate out of smaller wineries, often having quit large corporate wine companies, and they almost always enjoy instant, mini-cult status on release of their own wines, assuming that they stack up.  South Africa hasn’t had many YGs until recently." 


He then goes on to claim:
"Adi Badenhorst’s departure from Rustenberg signalled a spiritual downsizing for ambitious dudes to do their own thing.  This is happening in droves and I would venture to say that this movement is very close to becoming the single most important defining factor when it comes to South Africa’s vinous image abroad."


He mentions more of our Swartland neighbours and fellow Revolutionaries, you know, Sadie, the Mullineuxs, Lammershoek and more. 


We would recommend you Read more here as the article is very well written and insightful.

He also rates our AA Badenhorst, Secateurs White, Swartland, 2010 17/20 4 stars 13.5%

"One of a trio of marvellous entry level wines, Adi’s white is a wickedly priced and spankingly attractive wine.  With Chenin Blanc core it loads more complexity than any other rival at this price.  Watch out for a 2010 red and 2011 rosé coming soon.  Drink now – 2012 £9.95 Swig"

More pictures from our first open day.

"We few, we happy few." - Shakespeare's Henry V


Here are some pictures of the lucky guests who got tickets in time for our first ever open day on Kalmoesfontein. Lunch is served!