Chakalaka

A bold wine like this can hold up to the intense South African flavours of slow-roasted meat (lovely with barbequed pork). Even Asian cuisine flavours, such as plum sauce, will add to the fruitiness in the wine.

The vineyards are planted on Richter 99 rootstock. These vines are mainly bushvine planted in deep, iron-rich clay soils with decomposed granite (koffieklip and Oakleaf), and farmed without irrigation. The average yield for these vineyards was between 3.5 and 6 tons per hectare. The varieties were selected for their suitability to the Swartland’s growing conditions, and blended to express the region’s unique terroir.

Each wine component for the blend was matured in seasoned French and American oak for 12 months before blending occurred. The last step allowed for further maturation of the final wine in the same old oak barrels.

The grapes were hand-harvested, destalked and lightly crushed, where after it was fermented in open concrete fermenters (‘kuipe’). Manual punch downs were done during fermentation. The wines were then racked off and sent to barrel for malolactic fermentation and further ageing.

The new age of the Swartland commenced in 1997 when Charles Back stumbled across an old Tobacco farm Klein Amoskuil. Bewildered by the quality of grapes in a region better known for its wheat and rolling fynbos hills the potential was obvious so Charles set forth to acquire the farm and study its soils and extreme climate. Hence Spice Route Winery was born. Spice Route hand-crafted wines have been brought from the Swartland to the Spice Route Destination in Paarl to be enjoyed by all. Enjoy wine tasting in a rustic underground tasting room or outside under the pergola whilst enjoying the panoramic views of Table Mountain and the Simonsberg Mountain range.