Swartskaap (‘black sheep’).
Country: South Africa
Region: Hemel en Aarde
Grapes: Cabernet Franc
ABV: 13.5
You’ve probably heard of the quaint beach town of Hermanus, situated on South Africa’s
famous Whale Coast. Between 1855 and 1902, it was called Hermanuspietersfontein. In
1902, the local postmaster decided to shorten the name of the town to make addressing
letters to the locals easier.
150 years later, the wine farm Hermanuspietersfontein, or HPF for short, craft outstanding
wines with a serious sense of place. Their grapes come from Sondagskloof (they produce
90% of WO Sondagskloof wine), which competes with Elgin and the Ceres Plateau for
South Africa’s coolest wine growing region. This area is perfectly suited to Bordeaux
varietals and, with the exception of Shiraz, is exclusively planted with them.
The Afrikaans wine names might look like a bit of a mouthful, but they are good fun;
Bloos (‘blush’), Kaalvoet Meisie (‘barefoot girl’), Kat Met Die Houtbeen (‘cat with the
wooden leg’), Posmeester (‘postmaster’), Kleinboet (‘little brother’) and Swartskaap
(‘black sheep’).
