n hour’s drive from Cape Town, the Darling district is host to significant vineyard plantings influenced by nautical conditions from the Atlantic Ocean. It is the first district to be awarded full membership of the Biodiversity Wine Initiative. Their vineyards yield fruit of huge intensity and flavour, resulting in award-winning wines that have taken the international and local wine markets by storm.
Even if the region geographically is slightly off the beaten track, Darling’s annual wild flower show, showcasing a selection of the 1200 flowering species, makes it the focal point of the Cape Floral Kingdom.
Vineyards were first planted at Cloof in 1966 and Cloof Wine Estate increased its capacity for production by acquiring neighbouring Burgherspost in 2002 which now covers over 400 hectares of vineyards and has been under the same family ownership for the past two decades, ensuring they have unparalleled access to top quality fruit which enables them to produce a wide range of wine styles.
From entry level to premium, and contemporary to traditional, the Cloof Wine Estate portfolio offers an extensive range of quality wines that are created to meet the market needs in terms of style, price and positioning.
Cloof Wine Estate takes great pride in ensuring consistency from one vintage to another. They have a range of award-winning wines that have been independently rated by some of the world’s top wine critics and many have been awarded gold medals and 5-star ratings, such as John Platter Wine Guide and Michelangelo International.
A dusty road first leads you past Darling Cellars (worth a stop for tasting and picking up some well-made and well-priced wines) and then through bucolic paddocks dotted with grazing sheep for another five kilometres to Cloof and its sister property, neighbouring Burgherspost.
A cellar was completed in time for the 1998 harvest and the first Cloof wines were released the following year. The resultant wines from Cloof Wine Estate, with their quirky branding and funky packaging, have tons of personality too. Make sure you take the time to read the cleverly written back labels on wines with names such as "The Very Sexy Shiraz" and "The Very Vivacious Viognier"
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