Waverley Hill Organic Wines & Olive Estate

Between the towns of Tulbagh and Ceres, at the foot of the Witzenberg Mountain Range near Wolseley, Waverley Hills Organic Wine & Olive Estate occupies one of the Western Cape's most quietly ambitious farming properties. The Du Toit family -- Kobus, his brother Wynand, and their mother Myra -- planted the first vines here in 2000, committing from the outset to fully organic viticulture on what would grow to roughly 140 hectares of vineyard.

The organic certification was never a marketing exercise. The family had been involved in recycling winery waste since 1968, and Waverley Hills became the first organic wine farm in South Africa to be named a WWF Conservation Champion, acknowledged as an environmental leader in the industry for its commitment to conservation, responsible production practices, integrated environmental management, and spearheading innovations in water and energy efficiency. All wines carry ECOCERT organic certification, issued by the France-based body that conducts inspections in over 80 countries.

Winemaker Johan Delport arrived shortly after the cellar was built in 2006 and has since established Waverley Hills as a producer of distinctive, terroir-driven wines. Delport was the first winemaker in South Africa to produce a single-varietal Grenache rather than consigning the grape to blending duty, earning him the nickname 'The Godfather of Grenache' in the local wine press. His work with Grenache Noir remains the estate's calling card, though the range extends across a broad palette of organically grown varieties including Shiraz, Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Marselan, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Pinot Grigio, and Semillon.

The wines are known for a house style that is extremely smooth with soft ripe tannins and distinctive fynbos characteristics -- a direct expression of the Tulbagh terroir and the organic farming philosophy that underpins everything here. The CW Reserve range represents the top tier, with the Reserve Shiraz earning particular acclaim.

Visitors to the estate are welcomed into a tasting room that looks out over the valley and rolling vineyards. Olive products -- organic olive oil and tapenade -- are produced on the estate and available for tasting alongside the wines. The restaurant serves South African-inspired cuisine such as smoked snoek pate, olive tapenade, black mussels, and pork belly with sweet chili jam, and a five-course organic food-and-wine pairing experience is available for both lunch and dinner by reservation. Hiking trails and mountain biking routes wind through the farm for those seeking a more active afternoon amid the Witzenberg foothills.