AA Badenhorst Family Wines
History of AA Badenhorst Family Wines
The AA Badenhorst Family Wines are produced on the farm of Kalmoesfontein, and falls in the Swartland appellation and is situated between Wellington and Malmesbury. Kalmoesfontein means Calamus, which is a wetland reed with beautifully scented leaves, is indigenous to this part of the world.
Charismatic cousins Adi and Hein Badenhorst, whose grandfather was farm manager of Groot Constantia for 46 years, bought this derelict cellar which was last used in the 1930, transforming the cellar into what it is today, using traditional methods to produce excellent wines.
The vineyards on Kalmoesfontein are old and have been planted between 40 to 58 years ago. The vineyards which consist of 28ha, plant their vines on the slopes on the eastern, northern and southern facing slopes of the vineyard, which is situated on the Siebritskloof side of the mountain.
Current Activities
Of special note is the Protégé Programme which was launched in 2006, transforming the wine industry through the nurturing of previously disadvantaged groups to become winemakers par excellence.
Young wine-makers who have a passion to hone their wine-making skills will now be guided and taught by some of the top winemakers in SA. This is a three-year internship, selecting students that are in their third and fourth years and who have studied Viticulture and Oenology from the agricultural colleges of Stellenbosch and Esenburg; only these students will be invited to attend the programme.
With the assistance of AGRI-Seta, the Guild offers bursaries in order to cover the fees of final-year winemaking students at these colleges.
Some lovely AA Badenhorst Wines on offer:
The two kinds of wines that are made and bottled under the AA Badenhorst label are white and red blends.
The white blends include:
- Chenin Blanc.
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Rousanne.
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Grenache Blanc.
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Gris.
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Verdehlo.
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Colombar.
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Viognier.
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Chardonnay.
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Semillon.
Red Blends include:
- Shiraz.
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Mourvedre.
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Grenache.
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Cinsault.
Once you have been cast under the sweetest spell of the AA Badenhorst Family Wine, you will want to come back for more, time and again. The reds are rich and warm as cashmere and the whites are like the white ghost of Elvis; certainly a brand well worth visiting time and again.
