Roots run deep in the valley of plenty

In Robertson, at the foot of the Langeberg, the people are as connected to their history as they are to the soil. Come sip wine, eat milk tart and experience prime hospitality next to the Breede River.

- KYRA TARR

A howling southeaster picks up in Cape Town the day I leave for Robertson. With a white-knuckle grip on the steering wheel, I tune the radio to Kfm and turn my thoughts to the journey ahead. This trip is the last thing standing between me and my December holiday, but I can hardly complain about closing off the business year with a journey into wine country.

Interestingly, my research taught me that a century ago Robertson derived its fame and wealth from something other than grapes. The town was founded in 1853 and named after a respected minister of the Dutch Reformed Church, Dr William Robertson, whose parish included Swellendam and surrounding areas. The early townsfolk made wagons and tended small subsistence farms, but things changed at the beginning of the previous century.

Fashion in Europe at the time revolved around ladies’ hats adorned with ostrich plumes. During the resulting ostrich boom from 1900 to 1914, a single feather could fetch up to £5 in London – an enormous sum of money at the time. The families who pursued ostrich farming in Robertson became wealthy and built manor houses, like the one still seen at Excelsior wine farm. But then World War I happened and dampened all such frivolous pursuits. The ostrich fad faded and the farmers turned their focus to grapes.

Modern Robertson is a key stop on Route 62 – the so-called “longest wine route in the world”, which goes all the way from Worcester to Port Elizabeth. Strictly speaking, the R62 only starts 20 km east of town on the other side of Ashton, but it’s the thought that counts.