We chat with one of our members each month about their business, what makes them lie awake at night and what gives them hope. Jaco van Niekerk, cellar master at Piekenierskloof Wine Cellar says, “Don’t give up! Those who endure, will reap the rewards of their bravery.”

1. Tell us more about Piekenierskloof?

Piekenierskloof Wine Cellar is located in Citrusdal, a small town about a 1.5 hour’s drive from Cape Town. Our vineyards are cultivated on the Piekenierskloof Plateau about 10 km from Citrusdal.

The Van Zyl family has been involved with the cellar for more than 60 years. Carel van Zyl was one of the founding members of Citrusdal Wine Cellar in 1957 and in 2017 his sons Potgieter and Oubaas van Zyl bought out the other shareholders.

We harvest about 5 000 tons a year. The vineyards have a unique terroir, including a very high concentration of the country’s oldest vineyards that form part of the Old Vineyard Project. These vineyards are dryland bush vines such as those you may find in the Swartland region, but are at cultivated an altitude above 600 m, which has an enormous impact on the quality of the wines.

Piekenierskloof exports about 80% of its wines and offers everything from excellent value-for-money wines to supermarkets, to high-priced wines to direct customers, exclusive shops and restaurants. We currently have four wine ranges, namely the Old Vine range at the top of the price spectrum, the Piekenierskloof range and the Swartland Stonedance and Six Hats ranges, both of which are Fairtrade accredited.

In addition to wine sales, the business also receives an income from citrus, rooibos tea, deciduous fruit (fresh and dried), wine grapes, grain and livestock. The De Tol farmstall and deli on the Piekenierskloof Pass on the N7, where our tasting room is located, is very busy, especially during the flower season in August and September. The wine cellar itself employs 23 people.

2. The past year has been the most challenging yet for the SA wine industry. What do you believe has been the key to your survival?

The key to our survival in this time has been the fact that our owners and producers are not primarily dependent on wine grapes. However, the situation is still alarming and this is not the best way of doing business in the long run.

3. What makes your region special in terms of tourism and wine grape cultivation?

Citrusdal is relatively close to Cape Town, so it’s a nice day trip to our tasting room and deli in the Piekenierskloof Pass. It is also a convenient place to stop over if you are on your way to touring Namibia, for example.

Piekenierskloof is known for having the most Grenache Noir vineyards in South Africa, which is currently very popular among consumers. The Table Mountain sandstone soils, altitude and dryland bush vines all lend themselves to very concentrated wines.

4. Do you have any exciting plans in the pipeline?

We’re still planting varieties such as Cinsaut, Grenache Blanc, Pinot Noir, Chenin Blanc, Sangiovese and Carignan to support our existing cultivars. There is also a very exciting new product that will be released later this year.

5. What is your message to the rest of the industry?

Most overseas markets have a section for South African wines and we must continue to strive to make the best possible wines for it. Don’t give up! The wheel will turn again and the cellars that are able to endure will reap the benefits of their courage!