“Worcester is a very dry and extreme region,” shares Callie Coetzee, viticultural advisor for Vinpro. The Breede he says is its lifeblood and feeds the majority of the irrigation schemes. As the river carves through the interior; vines, olive trees, and homesteads spring up in its wake. Without this historic, life-giving river and its tributaries, there would be no agriculture in Worcester. 

Set against the Hex River Mountains, the slopes are crucial for winegrowing; bending the earth into divergent aspects for optimal planting, as well as providing ancient soils. 

The rainfall varies between 150mm per year in the Scherpenheuvel/Brandvlei area up to 350mm in the areas next to the mountains such as Nuy, Stettyn and the Hex River Valley. “Usually, it is quite a dry and hot summer which is favourable for grape production,” asserts Coetzee. However he adds spring frost is a danger as many vineyards lie in the river basin. To mitigate this growers have had to install overhead irrigation systems to lower the risk of frost damage.

Long has the potential for farming been recognised here. Dutch settlers can be traced back to the 1700s. Case in point is Stettyn Cellar, established in 1714. The Cape Dutch homestead which dates back to 1777 is now a National Monument. Stettyn was acquired by the Botha family in 1818 and has been in the family for eight generations. 

Worcester has long been the workhorse of South African wine production. The region's importance in the South African wine industry cannot be overstated, not only is it responsible for approximately a quarter of annual wine production, but it is also the most significant brandy-producing area, and boasts the largest distillery of its kind in the southern hemisphere. 

While it’s true that Worcester’s place in the wine industry has been largely utilitarian, this is changing.

“Traditionally base wines were made for brandy distillation,” says Coetzee. “Most of the wine production in the past two decades has been sold to the wholesale market.” However he says, estate brands are on the increase with several cellars bottling quality wines under their own labels, a trend he has noticed over the last ten years.

Spanning just under 20 000 hectares, the Worcester district is South Africa’s largest wine district by area and volume. Here, white grapes are the most widely planted with chenin blanc making up 27%, colombar 16%, sauvignon blanc 12% and chardonnay 7%.  

“Red wine production has shown an increase over the past five years,” notes Coetzee. The main cultivars are, cabernet sauvignon, malbec, pinotage, and shiraz.

The Worcester district comprises six wards, Coetzee elaborates:

“Stettyn is the highest in altitude and receives the most rainfall. The soils are mostly alluvial deposits. This area also receives the lowest sunlight hours in summer and because of this it has slower ripening compared to the rest of the region. Sauvignon blanc does well in these cooler conditions. 

“The soils in Nuy ward are a combination of the alluvial soils next to the Nuy River and the Karoo soils (Brandvlei and Sepane soils) further from the river. These clayish soils are more lime-rich and produce exceptional chardonnay and colombar wines. 

“The Hex River Valley is the area towards De Wet and De Doorns and the soils are mainly alluvial deposits. This area produces chenin blanc of the highest quality for local and international wholesalers. There are also quite a lot of producers next to the mountain slopes where the soils have more clay. The aspects of these sites range between morning and afternoon slopes, because of the different smaller valleys in the mountains. On these outer slopes, cabernet sauvignon and pinotage of exceptional quality are produced. 

“Scherpenheuvel is the driest area, and the soils are mostly Karoo type soils. This area produces high quality chenin, viognier, shiraz and even muscadel for fortified wines. Ripening is earlier here than the rest of the region. 

“The other wards are in the middle of the region and these areas are on the flat river plains. The soil types are alluvial and vary in number of stones and pebbles in the soils. The deep rich soils produce very good chenin blanc, chardonnay and sauvignon.”

There are 12 estates to visit on the Worcester Wine Route where guests can enjoy cellar door hospitality and soak in the unassuming ambience of this pastoral region. Worcester is compelling in its unpretentiousness, offering authentic, down-to-earth experiences that are as much about the people as it is about the wine. 

Malu Lambert