Cederberg Private Cellar
Welcome to the Cederberg Private Cellar. Here, on the farm Dwarsrivier, our winemaker David Nieuwoudt leads a ‘team with attitude’ to produce award-winning wines from our high-altitude vineyards. The secret behind our ‘wines with altitude’? A unique terroir, a pure virus-free environment, water from mountain springs, a unique cold climate without coastal influences and five generations’ understanding of the land.
Our Story
The Khoisan people, who lived in harmony with the natural environment, inhabited the Cederberg area from early times, leaving behind a rich legacy of rock art. Then, during the mid-1800s, another resilient group of people set foot in the remote Cederberg – the Nieuwoudt family.
The first Nieuwoudts arrived in South Africa during the early 1700s. Nearly 100 years later, their descendants moved to the Cederberg. In 1893 the present family moved to the farm Dwarsrivier, which is home to Cederberg Wines. Six generations ago, no one would have guessed that this rugged, fynbos-covered area on the edge of the Succulent Karoo biome would one day become a high-altitude wine farm in the Cape Winelands.
The Beginning of a Greater Story
Before the political changes of the 1990s, wine farming was an income like any other kind of farming, be it sheep, fruit or fish. The big names in the industry were well known, of course. Up to 1990 the Nieuwoudts focused on fruit, tobacco, vegetables and livestock. During the 1990s, when sanctions were lifted, farming life changed quite radically and many farmers started specialising.
Younger farmers, in many cases, faced huge challenges – the whole world had suddenly become their playground and delivery field. In the Cederberg, David Nieuwoudt returned to the land where he grew up and decided to focus on wine – after all, that was what he had studied and loved. The year? 1997.
David Nieuwoudt’s Inspirational Journey
The fifth-generation to farm these pristine lands, David has been on an award-winning trajectory since he took over the reins in 1997.
David attended the Elsenburg Agricultural College in Stellenbosch, where he excelled as a student. After completing his studies, he worked at Lievland wine estate in Stellenbosch for a year under the strict eye of then-owner Paul Benade. Then, at the end of 1996, he moved back to the Cederberg, where he took over the winemaking reins from his uncle, Oom Flippie Nieuwoudt.
A Passionate Team With Premium Standards
Fifth-generation winemaker David Nieuwoudt leads a talented ‘team with attitude’ to produce award-winning wines from our high-lying vineyards that flourish in a pure, virus-free environment. In the spirit of collaboration, each team member contributes the passion and expertise that produce Cederberg Wine’s exceptional portfolio of premium wine ranges.
Whatever your preference, Cederberg Wines offers you a world of award-winning wines waiting for you to savour and enjoy, no matter the occasion.
Unique Terroir And The Purest Water
Cederberg Wines is situated in a unique climatic zone that can be described as a cool Mediterranean climate rather than a maritime or coastal one. Furthermore, the farm Dwarsrivier is located at the foot of Sneeuberg Mountain, one of the highest peaks in the Western Cape at 2 026 m above sea level. Cederberg Wines, thus, lays claim to having the highest vineyards in the Western Cape at between 950 and 1 100 m above sea level.
The soil types are well-drained on weathered shale/slate on the hillsides and high mountain slopes, with a higher clay content well suited to red cultivars. From the yellow-brown soil of granitic origin to the lightly structured soil with sandstone, Cederberg Wine’s soil types belong to the Bokkeveld and Witteberg groups.
Growing For Future Generations
In the spirit of the Khoisan, the original environmentalists who once lived here in harmony with the land and the cycles of nature, conservation is fundamental, and Cederberg Wines is a committed WWF Conservation Champion.
Only about 300 hectares is used for farming, the holiday resort and staff housing, with the rest of this unspoilt land placed under CapeNature’s care – with 5 200 hectares under conservation.
Cederberg farms sustainably, and because this isolated area is virus-free and has minimal disease, there’s little to no chemical intervention. The farm also forms part of the Greater Cederberg Biodiversity Corridor (GCBC) between the West Coast and the Tankwa Karoo.
The Cederberg Team
The Cederberg Wine’s team comprises individuals who are passionate about winemaking excellence. Under the leadership of David Nieuwoudt, our talented ‘team with attitude’ combine their skills, minds and hearts to ensure each one of our premium wines is an experience worth enjoying.
Social Responsibility and Conservation Initiatives
We care about people, and we care about the environment. But most of all, we care about how responsibly we, as people, interact with the pristine Cederberg Wilderness around us.
Cederberg Wines is involved in several social responsibility and conservation initiatives to ensure that the winery and its people leave a sustainable legacy for future generations.
Cederberg Tasting Room
Our tasting room is contemporary with a striking pebble feature wall ( each stone was picked up from the bed of the nearby Dwarsrivier) and a glass wall showcasing the atmospheric barrel maturation cellar.
Visitors can expect unforgettable wine tasting experiences in our unique tasting room. Here you’ll be able to savour our award-winning wine ranges in this comfortable, eye-catching environment.
Informative and relaxed wine tastings are conducted at a leisurely pace by our knowledgeable and friendly tasting room staff.
