Lowerland

Story

Bertie Coetzee represents the sixth generation of his family to farm at Lowerland, on the banks of the broad Orange River near Prieska in the Northern Cape. Let’s not beat around the bush: traditional wine country this isn't. The desert-like climate is peculiar, being approximately 29 degrees south so on the outer limits of what’s considered prime latitude for vines, but the African heat is moderated by over 1,000 metres of altitude and consequentially high diurnal range. Summer rains can be problematic but generally conditions are dry and therefore favourable for organic farming, at which Bertie is something of a visionary. He has worked tirelessly to put Prieska on the South African wine map and gain approval for Wine of Origin status, a landmark achievement for what is historically a rudimentary bulk wine region. Having been picked, the grapes are driven in a bakkie for 10 hours south to Stellenbosch, where the wines are made by two of the brightest young talents in the Cape, JD Pretorius and Lukas van Loggerenberg.