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| Adi Badenhorst and son |
Ever since the Swartland learnt to speak English, it's been playing catch-up. Farmers became bored of only driving up and down vast expanses with the mothers of all combine harvesters. The womenfolk stopped using hairspray (although, Malmesbury still sports a stiff '70's coiffure). They learnt about the hippie movement, mastered soccer rules and started making wine outside of the co-op environment.
As the natives became sophisticated, it became de rigueur for even more sophisticated people to move to the Swartland. Riebeek Kasteel is now so sophisticated that it has 3 four way stops, 16 restaurants and 49 estate agents.
The Paardeberg also became next level sophisticated when a sign went up on the Paardeberg Road that read 'Wine Route'. Following the sign you would've found no grand tasting rooms, no velvet green lawns with peacocks, no ex-model -ex-wives, no Great Danes relieving themselves against transplanted oak trees. Nada, zilch, nothing...except for the cellars - small enough for the wine maker to know each and every barrel and tank, modern enough to make the best and being operated by the owners themselves. The dust that the natives of Lammershoek, Babylon's Peak and Annexkloof caused on this road just became bigger when they were joined by Baby Jesus (Sadie), Elvis Presley (Badenhorst) and the Oracle (Pendock).
Against Kasteelberg, Harry Potter & wife (Mullineux family) dared to open a cellar smack bang in the middle of Riebeek Kasteel. Brilliant wisdom lead him to realise that if the rest of the wine lands are buying Paardeberg grapes, then Paardeberg grapes must be hot. If the Paardeberg wine makers buy grapes from Kasteelberg slopes then Kasteelberg grapes must be magic. As a consequence Kasteelsig (Hughes Family) and Mountain View (Farm 1120 & Santa Cecilia) now also make limited quantities of wine from their own vineyards.
The 'Swartlanders' mentioned above will be boarding aeroplanes, some for the first time, and be selling their fine wines at the Swartland All Stars stand at Food Wine Design Fair 2010. |
