Click on a Brand below:

Origins of KWV Wine.

South Africa, the second oldest new world wine country, is the only new world wine country that combines its Huguenot heritage of classic French winemaking skills with new world wine styles. South African wines, consciously positioned between old and new world styles, are unique in their synthesis of the old and the new world. They retain the excellence of traditional styles of wine making combined with the new world technology and presentations, making them appeal to all palates.

KWV, originally founded in 1918 as a private co – operative, is today a dynamic and commercial company aligning itself with the voice of the customer and consumer and focused on an extensive brand building program to achieve the vision of being a leading liquor company from South Africa, creating prosperity for all.

Today the company is one of the 5 largest wine and brandy companies in South Africa and trades in more than 40 global markets with a portfolio of brands and products catering to different consumer needs and occasions.

KWV and Australia

KWV Chief Winemaker is an Australian. Richard Rowe had an international career in winemaking, during which the he developed a truly global outlook on winemaking styles, quality and production efficiency. At the Paarl Cellar of KWV, he is overseeing a winemaking team of seven, and works at the main cellar complex in Paarl.

Highlights in his career were the years spent at Australian wineries Evans & Tate (Margaret River) and Leasingham (Clare Valley), where he not only played a major role in establishing a high performance workplace and culture, but also won several national and international wine awards. During the years that Richard spent in Germany and France, he developed a keen sense and understanding of the importance of regionality - reflected in both wine styles and techniques. In terms of cultivars, his preference has always been Shiraz, which is the grape he believes offers the best expression of site and style in the glass.  

Geographical Location and Climate

KWV wines originate from selected vineyards at the southernmost tip of Africa – the fertile, lush Western Cape centered on Cape Town. Here, the KWV varietals flourish in the rich soils of the Table Mountain sandstone along with the Malmesbury shale and profit from the ideal terrain of the Western Cape 

The South African wine areas are among the most beautiful in the world. They range from historic Constantia near Cape Town to the centuries old towns of Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek; from the fertile Breede River valley to the hills of the Olifants River and the dry riverbeds of Calitzdorp.

The Western Cape’s Mediterranean climate has warm summers and cold winters with winter rainfall between May and August. Winds from the ocean, mainly the Atlantic with its icy Benguela current, moderate the summer warmth. Further east and towards the north, the Klein Karoo, Olifants River, and Orange River areas tend to be warmer and drier.

These weather and terroir conditions ensure sun ripened grapes with worldwide acclaim, which are then used to produce full-bodied and unique wines.

Product Portfolio

KWV has an extensive portfolio of natural and fortified wines and brandies. Wine brands include South African’s icon red wine, Perold, as well as Cathedral Cellars, KWV Reserve Range, Roodeberg, Laborie, KWV Lifestyle Range, Roberts Rock, Pearly Bay and Ubuntu. Fortified wines comprise ports, sherries and Muscadel.

KWV has long been noted for its world class brandies, among the best in the world. These comprise KWV 3, 5, 10, 15 and 20 Year old and Imoya VSOP Alembic Brandy, and the latest release, a 5 year old African Mishale.

Awards 

Most of KWV’s brands have received well recognised international awards. KWV 10 year old brandy has won the accolade “best brandy in the world” and the international wine and spirit competition in London four times.

Historic Milestones 

• 1918 “Kooperatiewe Wijnbouers Vereniging” was founded in Paarl.

• 1961 KWV first started using cold fermentation techniques

• 1992 KWV brandy cellar in Worcester opened its doors.

• 1997 KWV converted from a co operative to a company

• 2004 KWV enters the South African market for the first time commercially

• 2009 KWV Re-launch in Australia after an absence of 20 years