Breede River Valley is divided into Breedekloof, Robertson and Worcester. Chenin Blanc is grown across all three districts and made into dry, sweet and sparkling wines. Breedekloof has river-deposited soils over stones, with conditions changing between valleys. Robertson has large temperature differences between day and night and pockets of limestone. Some Chardonnay is made without oak; Calcrete is a name reserved for selected Chardonnay wines from Bonnievale-Robertson. Worcester is very dry and relies largely on the Breede River for irrigation. Sauvignon Blanc ripens more slowly in high-altitude Stettyn, while Nuy grows Chardonnay and Colombar on lime-rich clay. Scherpenheuvel is the driest of the smaller growing areas and tends to ripen earlier. Worcester also produces grapes for brandy, alongside wines sold under estate labels.
3 named areas
Inside the region
Explore the wine-growing areas of Breede River Valley.
- 01Breedekloof1 producerBreedekloof's river valleys have alluvial soils over river stones, with changes in soil and local climate from one valley to the next. The area includes Goudini and Slanghoek, and local winemakers formed the Breedekloof Makers Initiative around Chenin Blanc in 2014.
- 02Robertson4 producersRobertson sits within Breede River Valley, where marked shifts between daytime and nighttime temperatures meet pockets of limestone. Chardonnay from those soils is described as minerally and unwooded. Calcrete is a specially selected Chardonnay category from the Bonnievale-Robertson area.
- 03WorcesterNo producers listed yetWorcester is South Africa's largest wine district by area and volume. It is dry, and the Breede River feeds most irrigation schemes. High-altitude Stettyn suits slower-ripening Sauvignon Blanc, while Nuy and Scherpenheuvel bring different soils and growing conditions.