Nestled between Elim and Cape Agulhas, where fierce winds and billowing mist shape the landscape, lies Strandveld Vineyards. This southernmost winery, sitting just 9km from the sea, thrives in a unique terroir that imparts a distinctive cool climate to its wines. Among its cool-climate treasures of white wines and red wines, are the Strandveld Viognier and the Pofadderbos Sauvignon Blanc, both celebrated for their cool elegance and exceptional character.
Viognier: Mastering the art of cool-climate red wines
The Strandveld Viognier is a testament to the winery’s dedication to crafting red wines that capture the essence of their extreme growing environment. With a full-bodied profile and a silky mouthfeel, this Viognier stands out for its high extract, delivering a sensory experience that reflects the vineyard’s unique terroir.
As you uncork a bottle of Strandveld Viognier, the nose is greeted with enchanting notes of coriander spice and apricot blossom. Upon the first sip, ripe peach and almond flavours linger on the palate, creating a rich yet refreshingly distinctive experience. This Viognier is a perfect blend of aromatic complexity and textured elegance, a true expression of the winemaking artistry employed by the Strandveld team.
Sauvignon Blanc: Exploring cool-climate white wines
In contrast to the Viognier, the Pofadderbos Sauvignon Blanc unveils a different facet of the cool climate charm. With a nose boasting passion fruit, grapefruit and blackcurrant, this Sauvignon Blanc invites you into a world of sharp, vibrant flavours. On the palate, it unfolds with creamy fullness, complemented by citrus, fynbos and oyster shell minerality. The experience is capped off with a lovely natural acidity and a lingering finish that resonates with the cool winds and unique terroir of Strandveld Vineyards.
The Sauvignon Blanc, a cornerstone of cool-climate white wines, thrives in the constant cooling Atlantic winds that define the Elim wine ward. With its rolling sea mists and cool temperatures, this challenging environment becomes the foundation for the distinctive terroir-driven wines of Strandveld Vineyards. Just like the vines that brave the tempestuous elements, the Sauvignon Blanc grapes develop intense flavours, and the resulting wine is a testament to the resilience of both nature and winemakers.
The charm of Strandveld
Strandveld’s success lies not only in its winemaking techniques, but also in the unique terroir that shapes its grapes. The relentless Atlantic Sea wind, a constant companion in the Elim ward, contributes to a cooler climate, preventing diseases by keeping the grapes dry. This, coupled with the shallow to medium-deep duplex soils rich in minerals, results in small, intensely flavoured berries – a winemaker’s dream.
Strandveld’s red wines, like the Viognier and white wines, exemplified by the Sauvignon Blanc, are individual expressions of this unique terroir. They serve as a testament to Strandveld Vineyards’ unwavering commitment to crafting wines of unparalleled quality and distinctive character.
Whether you’re savouring the rich, textured Viognier or reveling in the vibrant flavours of the Pofadderbos Sauvignon Blanc, every sip from Strandveld Vineyards tells a story – a story of adventurous winemaking, extreme conditions and the cool elegance that defines the southernmost winery in Africa. Strandveld’s commitment to exploring and embracing the unique terroir of Cape Agulhas shines through in every bottle, inviting wine lovers to experience a taste like no other.
