Out and about in the Klein Karoo
Out and about in the Klein Karoo
Terroir is the notion that wines should taste of the place where the grapes grow. We invite you to travel with us as we explore South Africa's different wine-growing appellations.
South Africa's Wine of Origin (WO) scheme came about in the early 1970s and was based on the classification systems of Europe.Today the WO classification recognises "geographic units", "regions", "districts" and "wards" in order of size from biggest to smallest.
INTRODUCTION
The Klein Karoo Wine Route in the Southern Cape is the easternmost wineproducing region in the country, stretching along Route 62 from Montagu in the west to the Langkloof in the east.
With 2 957 hectares under vine, the Klein Karoo accounts for just 3% of the national vineyard. Generally semi-arid, the low rainfall enables wines to be grown organically to a large extent, and there are pockets where micro-climate facilitates wines of excellence.
Calitzdorp, for instance, is justifiably famous for its Port while the region is also renowned for its quality Muscadels and potstill brandies.
WHAT TO DO
Drive the passes. The Klein Karoo is bounded on all sides by mountains and the natural gateways through these provide the day-tripper with spectacular scenery. These include Cogmanskloof, Seweweekspoort, Meiringspoort, and the Garcia, Montagu, Outeniqua, Robinson, Swartberg and Tradouw passes.
Take in the unique vegetation. Karoo is a Khoi word meaning "hard" or "dry" and the Klein Karoo does have a very low rainfall: less than 200 millimetres per year. However, there are several important rivers, such as the Olifants, Groot, Gamka and Touws (where no rivers occur the valleys are classified as desert). Mixed farming is the norm and succulents and wild flowers abound.
Time your visit between August and October and you'll be rewarded with a kaleidoscope of colour: proteas, ericas and watsonias on the mountain slopes and succulents and taaibos in the valleys.
ACCOMMODATION AND DINING
Given the vast area that the Klein Karoo incorporates, it is difficult to recommend particular places of accommodation.
There are a handful of hotels and a great many bed-and-breakfast places across the region and readers are advised to make their investigations. Worthwhile resources towards this end are Kleinkaroowines.co.za, Route62. co.za and Getaway.co.za. As for food, there aren't any destination restaurants as such but expect hearty country fare.
WINES TO TRY
Over the page are some of WINE magazine's favourite wines from the Klein Karoo. The selection is by no means exhaustive - space constraints mean only a finite number can be featured - but they provide a good indication of why you should pay the region a visit.
