The history of Swartland Winery dates back to 1948 when the Swartland Co-operative was founded by 15 member farmers in the Swartland region which got its name from Jan van Riebeeck’s description of the land on seeing the indigenous vegetation, ‘renosterbos’, appear black in colour. 2006 saw the converting of the co-op to a public company, Swartland Winery.
Swartland Winery 1948
In 1948 the chairman of the newly formed co-operative donated 4 hectares of his own farm Doornkuil, to be used for developing the winery. By 1950, the winery was up and running and membership had swelled to 48 farmers, supplying 2 500 tons of grapes in the first year. Situated approximately 3 km from the town of Malmesbury, the winery holds its history close to its heart. Today, Swartland Winery produces approximately 2 million 9 litre cases of wine a year from grapes supplied by producers across an area of 3600 hectares.
The vineyards benefit from the constant cool breezes that blow off the Atlantic Ocean; effectively sustaining the many microclimates, while the proximity to mountain ranges adds its own dimension to the physical character of the fruit.
Taking the West Coast road out of Cape Town you’ll observe a change in vegetation within 40 minutes. Hectares of wheat and grapes stretch as far as the eye can see. You have reached the Swartland: an area rich in vines and one of the bread baskets of South Africa and the home of Swartland Winery.Discover more about this unique Winery and their very unique wines which are tailored for every palate and occasion.
The Name
The town of Malmesbury’s name heralds from her sister city, Malmesbury in England and the winery chose to bear the original insignia of the local divisional council as the breastplate of eagle featured on the winery crest. The town of Malmesbury grew up around a thermal spring around 1744 and thus the region has a long, rich history.
New look for Swartland Winery range
Fresh and crisp is how we would describe the new Swartland Winery branding.
A true reflection of the wines produced over the last 60 years.
With the co-operative having become a company, the marketing gurus turned their eyes towards the look and feel of this well established brand.
What did the brand stand for was the first question: Growth, consistency and quality were the three pillars that were identified.
What were the influences that make the wines so distinctive?
The gifts of nature of course: the rivers, the skyline, the rolling wheat fields, the expectant curve of a new vine shoot and the clouds in the sky - all organically representative of the landscape of the Swartland region. And, with the initials, SW, it all started to come together.
Gentle curves representing the growth from the earth create the S and the W - add one more curve and the three pillars of the company blend to birth the jewels of the Swartland - a bracelet of grapes.
A combination that shows nature’s bounty combined with the company’s reason for existence. This fresh, clean update comes with a switch to screw caps taking
the brand into a truly modern sphere whilst never losing its tradition of quality, value and above all consistency!
Look out for this brand new look in a bottle store near you – oh, and it hasn’t altered the price range – we’re still the best value around for award winning wines. That’s what you expect from this gift of nature..
History of Malmesbury
The town of Malmesbury, just 3km from the Winery, developed around a thermal spring in 1744 and thus the region has a long rich history. The town name heralds from its sister city, Malmesbury, in England, and it was here that the fifth Dutch Reformed congregation in Cape Town was established. Initially the town was referred to as Zwartlands-kerk, but in 1829, the then Governor of the Cape, Sir Lowry Cole renamed it ‘Malmesbury’, in honour of his father-in-law, Sir James Harris, the first Earl of Malmesbury, England.