“I still believe farming is my first passion. I love vineyards, maybe even more than winemaking. It’s a joy and a privilege, I think, to be able to work with vineyards, especially if they have a bit of history, if they have a bit of character.”
Having grown up on his father’s grape farm in the Paardeberg, Swartland, Dewaldt has always had an intimate relationship with the vine. After completing a diploma in Cellar Technology at Elsenburg Agricultural College in 1995, he was appointed viticulturist/assistant winemaker at Rust en Vrede, which greatly influenced his winemaking and viticultural philosophy. In 1999, he took up the position of winemaker at Avondale, where he gained invaluable experience in successfully establishing a new wine farm as various accolades attest.
The opportunity to hone these skills presented itself in 2004 in the form of Saronsberg, Tulbagh. This proved to be a winning combination, with Saronsberg performing constantly at the highest level, receiving numerous awards since its maiden vintage. Apart from study trips to various wine-growing countries, Dewaldt also did harvests at Dry Creek Vineyards in Sonoma, California, USA, and Domaine Cave Yves Cuilleron in Condrieu, France.