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SOUTH AFRICA<br />
TERROIR<br />
And then we stumbled upon a happy accident that<br />
became our first orange wine,” laughs Kiki, “which<br />
has now become one of our signature offerings.”<br />
For them, loyalty lies more with the land than<br />
any specific variety or winemaking style. “The<br />
consistent message is one of honesty—a small<br />
family business committed to crafting unique<br />
Swartland wines.”<br />
DU TOIT FAMILY VINEYARDS ARE HOME TO 25 HECTARES OF INDIGENOUS<br />
RENOSTERVELD. THE NAME FOR THE WINES, KNOLFONTEIN, IS DERIVED FROM THE<br />
AFRIKAANS WORD KNOL, MEANING PLANT BULB, A PHENOMENON CREATING A<br />
SEASONAL SPECTACLE AS THE SHOOTS EMERGE<br />
KNOLFONTEIN: CULTIVATING<br />
TRADITION, NURTURING TERROIR<br />
The Du Toit Family Vineyards is a 480-ha farm<br />
at the foothills of the Kasteelberg in Riebeek<br />
West. Knolfontein is the name adopted for their<br />
boutique range of wines they believe reflect generations<br />
in the making.<br />
Pieter, aka Knol du Toit, is a fourth-generation<br />
wine grower whose family has always farmed<br />
grapes in the Swartland, and after studying viticulture<br />
and oenology, returned to the farm with<br />
his father, Danie.<br />
“There were vineyards on the farm when my<br />
great-grandfather bought the land in 1907. Yet,<br />
after selling our grapes for so long, in 2020, it was<br />
time for our own label and identity,” shares Pieter.<br />
“I am just a farmer who loves his land” he adds,<br />
and five generations in the making, they still<br />
follow their heart and not consumer trends.<br />
In the late 1990s, South Africa claimed three gold<br />
medals at the Chardonnay du Monde competition;<br />
one of them went to a wine made from Knolfontein<br />
fruit. And in 1998, Pieter’s father won the<br />
prize for the region’s best vineyard block. A decade<br />
later, he did the same.<br />
The Kolfontein Chenin Blanc 2021 (91) and<br />
the Knolfontein Cinsaut 2021 (90) shined in<br />
the tasting.<br />
“We embrace a philosophy that goes beyond<br />
farming - nurturing the soil and the vines, ensuring<br />
they thrive in harmony with nature. We limit<br />
tractor traffic to preserve the soil’s integrity of<br />
plant cover crops to shield it from erosion. It’s a<br />
labour of love, driven by a deep-seated passion<br />
for our terroir and a commitment to preserving<br />
THEY WORK WITH THE RHYTHM OF THE LAND, SAYS PIETER DU TOIT,<br />
FOURTH-GENERATION WINE GROWER AT DU TOIT FAMILY VINEYARDS<br />
SPRING 2024 • GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE<br />
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