20 Years of Harvests on the Plettenberg Bay Wine Route
Twenty years ago, the idea of a wine route in Plettenberg Bay felt quietly ambitious. A handful of
determined pioneers, a cool coastal climate, and a belief that something special could take root here. Today, that belief has not only taken root – it has flourished.
The Plettenberg Bay Wine Route marks its 20th anniversary this year, and while much has evolved, one thing remains unchanged: at the heart of every vintage are the people. The hands, the instincts, the resilience, and yes, the humour, that carry each harvest from vineyard to bottle.
Where It All Comes Together: Harvest
If the past twenty years have built the reputation, harvest is where it is renewed, again and again.
Doug Lund, former chairman of the Plettenberg Bay Wine Route and the driving force behind Newstead, understands this better than most.
With a background spanning sugar cane, cattle, and broader agriculture, he brings both pragmatism and perspective to the vineyards.
“You can’t just push a button and get wine,” he says. “It’s an art and a science, and nature is the ultimate boss.” It’s a sentiment that has echoed through two decades of growth. What began as a fledgling region is now recognised for its precision, elegance, and distinctive coastal character, but that reputation is earned fresh each season.
Twenty Years In: Small, Focused, Exceptional
Unlike larger, more commercial regions, Plettenberg Bay has remained intentionally small. That scale has become its strength. Here, winemaking is deeply hands-on. Owners are in the vineyards. Winemakers are in the cellar. Decisions are not outsourced, they are lived.
Over the past two decades, this tight focus has shaped a region known for refinement, particularly in Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and its standout categor, Cap Classique. Each vintage is not just a continuation, but a step forward. A quiet, ongoing pursuit of excellence.
The Art and Pressure of the Pick
Harvest has always been the defining moment. The decisions made in these few intense weeks can shape an entire year’s work. Timing, as ever, is everything. Pick too early and you lose depth; too late and balance slips away.
And then there’s the weather. Still as unpredictable now as it was twenty years ago. Cool ocean breezes and long ripening periods give Plettenberg Bay wines their hallmark elegance and
natural acidity. But that same maritime influence brings humidity, rain, and the occasional curveball that keeps even the most seasoned growers on edge. Two decades in, the lesson remains the same: control what you can, respect what you can’t.
The Wild Reality
Of course, not all challenges come from the sky. The so-called “6 B’s” – baboons, bush pigs, birds, bees, and bokkies – have been loyal (and not entirely welcome) participants in every harvest since the beginning. Some things, it seems, never change.
Troops of baboons still outsmart fences. Birds still descend with uncanny timing. Bushbuck still find their way in. It’s part of the rhythm of farming here, a reminder that these vineyards are not just cultivated land, but part of a broader, living landscape. Netting helps. Experience helps more. But a sense of humour? Essential.
The People Behind the Vines
If twenty years have proven anything, it’s that great wine is never made alone.
Behind every bottle is a team; pickers, cellar hands, vineyard managers, who return season after season. Early mornings, long days, aching backs, stained hands.
And yet, there is laughter. There is pride. There is a shared understanding that what they are part of is bigger than a single harvest. Over time, these teams have become the backbone of the region, not just supporting it, but shaping it.
From Grape to Glass: The Next Chapter Begins
Once the grapes are in, another transformation begins. In the cool quiet of the cellars, fermentation hums into life. It’s here that the personality of each vintage starts to reveal itself – subtle at first, then unmistakable.
Winemakers like Anton Smal, Jaco van der Watt, and Sollie Sauerman have guided countless vintages through this stage, each year bringing new nuances, new challenges, new rewards. “The wine always has the final say,” Anton reflects. “You guide it—but it finds its own way.”
It’s a philosophy that has carried the region through twenty years—and will carry it into the next twenty.
A Moment to Raise a Glass
Anniversaries invite reflection, but they also invite celebration. From those early experimental plantings to the confident, character-driven wines of today, the Plettenberg Bay Wine Route has grown into something quietly remarkable.
And yet, in many ways, it still feels like the beginning. Because with every harvest, every bottle, every shared glass, the story continues.
The Final Sip
“You never really relax until the last bottle is sealed,” Doug Lund says with a smile. Twenty years in, that hasn’t changed. But perhaps now, there’s a little more time to pause, to raise a glass not just to the vintage, but to the journey.
Perseverance, passion, and sparkling success indeed.