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. 

Cheers to 2011~

And then we came to the end. Another year, another vintage, another revolution - now mere magical memories.

2011 has been a very blessed year on Kalmoesfontein. We are finally happy with the farm’s transformation from ‘bombed Siberia’ (as Andre describes it) and opened our gates to friends, family and fans for our first open day in October and in November celebrated our first farm wedding on the lawns and porches of the old house.

Adi’s pandemonium of parrots are growing slowly but surely, The Winemaker’s Cottage on the farm now gets rented out so you can come experience Swartland farm living, the second annual Swartland Revolution went down with a bang and our wines received top marks from various international and local critics, including the Wine Advocate (no scandal involved here, we promise).

But for now we look forward to a few days of relaxation on the west coast. We expect the first grapes, some verdelho from the Piketberg area, to be ready for harvest by mid January so there will be no time to waste in the new year. With cellar hands coming all the way from Spain, Chile and India the Paardeberg will definitely enjoy an interesting harvest 2012.

Partyberg’s Proffesional Party Planner, Jasper reports that there will be a Grape Stomping Party (end Feb) and a Harvest Party by the end of March with dates to be confirmed.

We wish you and your family, friends and loved ones a blessed festive season and a very happy new year. We are grateful for your continued support in 2011 and promise to bring you more fine and rare hand crafted wines in 2012.

Cheers to a merry Christmas,

The extended Badenhorst and Kalmoesfontein Family

When we revolted...

Pictures from the 2011 Swartland Revolution. We know we are a tad late, but it took us a while to recover, and then we wanted to wait for the full selection of pictures from 'neighbour' (it's a long bumpy drive to the Porseleinberg, but we still consider Callie & Maree neighbours) and photographer Maree, cause you know, we like to be a little different.

So here is our alternative choices of images from a revolution. If you missed it you missed out!

Oh goody (bag)!

Quality first - Olivier Clape

Revolutionary BBQ (by Reuben Riffel) at Bazaar. 

 entertainment from Die Baardskeerdersbos Orkes! 'dis n lekker ou jan...'

                                                                                      Adi's soap box from where he told many charming lame jokes while moderating the Expert Opinions tasting.

 lunch at bar bar black sheep!

Jasper receiving our official Swartland Independent decanter from Eben Sadie just before the street party!

Till next year!

The 2012 Swartland Revolution will take place on 9 & 10 November. Ticket sales will open in March 2012, start saving... Read more here / or follow the revolution on twitter / or like it on the book of faces.

Forests, Harrods and other stories from the North...

Some news from the United Kingdom and Europe.


One of our loyal customers in the UK, Mark Bedford, sent us a picture of him enjoying our Secateurs Red Blend in the forest after foraging for some mushrooms.


He writes:
"Here is the picture of me on a day’s wild forage – leaves, berries, wood pigeon, a few fungi – in a big forest in Oxfordshire, just last Saturday. Your wine went very well with seared wood pigeon breasts gently poached in a hawthorn, sloe and rosehip syrup, all from berries picked an hour earlier. Outstanding tucker and great wine match – though I had to share my bottle with other foragers who had not done the same detailed forward planning since ‘bottle of red wine’ was not in their kit list!"

Proof that our wine even tastes great from a plastic cup:

 In other parts of the Northern Hemisphere we are very proud to have our Family Wines and Secateurs on prominent display in Harrods in London and Berlin:

 As for us back home, we are excitedly counting down the days (11) till The Swartland Revolution. Bring on 11.11.11! 

Swartland saving France

Adi is on his way with Eben and Chris to introduce the French to Swartland wines soon. Between THIS & 2011 Swartland Revolution poster I'm seeing WAY too much skin...

The One-Day-Only invasion on Saturday October 15th will include two events.


First, a FREE tasting with 3 classes: 
one to introduce Swartland with Eben's wines, 
one with Chris & Stéphane Ogier (our imported guest at 2010 Revolution)
and one with Adi presenting our wines. 


This will take place in a wine cellar in the Latin Quarter of Paris starting at 3pm.

Secondly there will be a wine dinner with a menu to pair with Mullinuex and Badenhorst Wines in a secret location.

Anyone interested in participating can contact Raffi Gabeyan via email at raffi.gabeyan@gmail.com. 

Swartland Revolution 2011 - final programme!

With the raging success of the inaugural Swartland Revolution organisers have made 250 tickets available for this year’s Revolution that will take place on the weekend of 11 – 12 November 2011.

With guest feedback that included praise such as “the best wine event that I have ever attended”; “like Woodstock... but without the sex”; “world class performance” and “a revolution against boring wines, against boring events; this was a revolt against the plain and the sad, the straight and the narrow; it was simply a benchmarking of joie de vivre” most of last year’s attendees have already booked their place at this year’s event.

The programme for 2011 has just been finalised and is bigger (and even better) than in 2010;

Three tastings of benchmark wines:

- Eight wines from the local Mullineux Cellar;

- Olivier Clape presenting six of his wines from The Northern Rhone in France

- and nine wines, all personal favourites selected by London based wine writer Jamie Goode, ze German Sommelier Jorg Pfutzner and local kenner Michael Fridjhon.

The food will again be “simply superb” as noted by 2010 revolutionary:

- Celeb chef Reuben Riffel and his team are ready to braai up a storm once more. If last year’s BBQ was any indication we can expect mountains of perfectly prepared meat, salads to stun and fire grilled veggies that will impress even the most hard core carnivores.

- For Saturday lunch the team at Bar Bar Black Sheep will again prepare a truly local feast to mesmerise guests.

The event will conclude with The Swartland Independent Street Party. At R50 per person this tasting is more accessible and open to the public. With local producers showcasing their natural wines it will attract a whole new crowd as we take over the Riebeek Main Street and party into the sunset.

Tickets sold via Webtickets.

Hats off to a new Côte

The Yorkshire Post has published a lovely article on the Swartland. With focus on last year's revolution - and particularly the tasting by Stephane Ogier of the Northern Rhone, Christine Austin tells the story of a wine region that is fast becoming world class.


"The reason for Stéphane’s presence in South Africa that day is because Swartland shares many of the characteristics that create some of the Rhône’s finest wines. The soil is complex with granite, clay, slate and river shale creating individual pockets for different varieties; the climate is hot during the day but a cooling breeze spreads over the region in the afternoon; and there is enough distance between the Swartland and the manicured vineyards of Stellenbosch to feel that this is the pioneering, Wild West of wine growing."


She also focusses on Eben and Adi's journeys to the Swartland and rates some of their wines, including our "fresh-tasting complex, pepper and aniseed Badenhorst Family Red 2007, which is on its way to becoming one of South Africa’s great wines."

Read the full article here. 

Revving up for another Revolution...

We are once again in full swing planning the Swartland Revolution. After the overwhelming success of the inaugural Revolution, this year promises to be bigger and better.


With 250 tickets available there will not only be more guests, but more tastings and more goodies and fun entertainment awaits you, come 11/11/11.


This year's tastings (three, compared to two last year) includes a Friday afternoon tasting by Olivier Clape presenting six of his world class French wines. On Saturday there will be a tasting of eight wines from the local Mullineux Cellar as well as a tasting with wine journalist Jamie Goode (all the way from London) and Michael Fridjhon, a revolution favourite. They will treat us to four of their favourite wines each.


As they say, dont fix it if it aint broken; so celeb chef Reuben Riffel will once again be in charge of the braai tongs on Friday night while local hero Mynardt Joubert and the team at Bar Bar Black Sheep will have to pull out all the stops to top their Festival Feast from 2010 for lunch on Saturday.


And finally, a new poster has arrived... 

For the entire programme of events, click here!


Hope to see you in the Swartland in November!