Grüner Veltliner

Light lunches, poultry, savoury quiches

Grüner Veltliner is Austria’s most widely planted grape variety and one of Central Europe’s great white grapes. Its roots are commonly traced back to Roman times, and it has endured centuries of European upheaval to become a defining Austrian variety. The style can range from light and peppery to deeply textured, age-worthy wines with the stature to stand alongside serious Chardonnay. Citrus and white peach are typical, joined by the variety’s signature peppery spice and, at times, a subtle tobacco-leaf savouriness. The grapes for this rare South African expression originate from a small block in Kapteinskloof, near Piketberg in the western reaches of the Swartland. Although the broader Swartland is known for heat and dry conditions, Kapteinskloof is a deep, enclosed valley. This particular block is sheltered from much of the midday sun and from the late-afternoon sun, creating a distinctly cooler mesoclimate and allowing a slower, more measured ripening curve. It is precisely the kind of site that gives us the opportunity to explore how this remarkable European variety can speak in a South African voice. The 2026 Swartland season followed a cold winter with excellent chill accumulation, although winter rainfall reached only around 60-70% of the long-term norm. Because the rainfall events were evenly spread, soils were replenished sufficiently and bud break was generally uniform. Warm conditions in November and December encouraged strong early growth and good fertility, while the dry season produced smaller berries and naturally concentrated flavours. January and February were comparatively moderate, with fewer hours above 35°C than is usual for the Swartland. Light rain and drizzle in mid-February briefly slowed the pace before a severe March heatwave accelerated the final stages of the regional harvest. White cultivars generally showed generous fruit expression, while natural acidities were lower across the district. In Kapteinskloof, the cool, sheltered position of the Grüner Veltliner block helped protect freshness and allowed flavour, texture and spice to build without losing definition.

The wine was made as simply and transparently as possible. A portion of the stalks was retained during fermentation, bringing an additional savoury, peppery spice and a fine structural edge to the wine. Fermentation occurred naturally in a single seasoned 300L neutral French oak barrel. The vessel was chosen as a quiet fermentation environment rather than as a source of oak flavour, allowing the character of the variety and the Kapteinskloof fruit to remain at the centre of the wine. Only one barrel was made. Working on this scale allowed us to follow the wine closely and preserve the remarkable weight and texture that developed naturally through fermentation, with minimal intervention.

Pilgrim Wines is a unique wine company, dedicated to inspire, teach and surprise. We are a small family-owned business with a passion for wine making. Well-known Winemaker Henry Kotzé (former Morgenster and now at the iconic Mulderbosch) carefully crafts the wines for owner and Viticulturist wife Riëtte Kotzé’s Pilgrim Wines brand. We do not have our own vineyards, at the moment we source our grapes from small pockets of vineyards that we have come across in our everyday paths. These distinct parcels of land, happen to be in our home-grown Stellenbosch area and the amazing Voor Paardeberg regions. We partner with like minded ethical growers and believe in leaving nothing but footprints for the next generation. We focus on innovative methods with tried and tested cultivars, as well as experimental styles with unorthodox, unfamiliar cultivars. We like to discover the new and untried pathways in the journey of grape to bottle.