Org de Rac Organic Wine Estate

On the northern edge of the Swartland, where the N7 bends past Piketberg and the wheat fields give way to vine-covered slopes, Org de Rac stands as one of South Africa's pioneering organic wine estates. It was founded in 2000 by Nico Bacon, an entrepreneur who had built his career in the South African fishing industry but harboured a quiet conviction: that the healthiest grapes, grown as close to nature as possible, would make the finest wines.

Bacon chose a rugged parcel of land some 130 kilometres north of Cape Town, on the very fringe of the Swartland wine region. The Swartland had been home to sheep, wheat and wine farming since the seventeenth century, but certified organic viticulture was virtually unheard of. The first vines went into the ground in 2002, and by the time the first wines were released in 2005, Org de Rac had become one of only a handful of South African producers to earn full organic certification. Today it remains one of just eighteen local wine producers certified for wines from organically grown grapes.

The estate's motive was never ideology for its own sake. Bacon believed that creating the most natural environment possible for vine cultivation was simply the best route to premium quality. No synthetic herbicides, pesticides or fertilisers touch the vineyards. Cover crops, compost and biodiversity corridors maintain soil health. The result is fruit with concentration and authenticity that reflects the warm, dry Swartland terroir without artificial enhancement.

To translate that fruit into wine, Bacon enlisted Frank Meaker as cellar master. Meaker, the grandson of Kanonkop founder Paul Sauer, brought a deep understanding of Swartland reds and a reverence for site expression. At the end of 2021, Lizelle Gerber joined as winemaker, bringing two decades of experience from estates including Zevenwacht and Boschendal, where she had headed white wine and Cap Classique production and earned a string of accolades. From the 2022 harvest, Gerber has been fully in charge of production, with Meaker available in an advisory role.

The wine range spans an Estate collection of approachable, everyday organic wines, a Reserve tier of single-varietal expressions with greater depth and oak maturation, and a Cuvee La Verne Methode Cap Classique that has won recognition both locally and internationally. The vineyard portfolio includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot, Chenin Blanc, Verdelho, Roussanne and Chardonnay.

Bacon remained closely involved in daily operations until his passing in June 2020, after which the Bacon and Hartzenberg families joined forces to steer the estate forward. Visitors today enjoy tastings paired with nougat and chocolate, French-inspired cuisine at the estate restaurant, and cellar tours that reveal the organic winemaking process from vine to bottle, all set against the wide-open Swartland sky.