I’m not interested in copying anybody or any other region when it comes to my wines. Treat your vines well and Elgin will reward you with a wine that tells an enchanting story about the You drink wine between the ears. KOEN ROOSE region where it comes from. Very important to understand your vineyard and work with nature. Nature provides it all. No need to add anything! Pretty vineyards don’t make the best wine. KOEN ROOSE The future is making fine dining styles of wine that reflect the region they come from. structure that runs through the Elgin valley where my grapes are grown. KOEN ROOSE I try to make wine with a unique DNA I like history and even more so telling stories. In the end you should be able to taste a bit of my personality in my wines. KOEN ROOSE

Nestled in the heart of the Elgin Valley, Spioenkop Wines was established in 2008 with Koen Roose as winemaker. With several awards and accolades under their belt, Spioenkop produces wines that have finesse, balance, and purity, with the idiosyncratic character of the winemaker flowing through every bottle.

The winemaking philosophy here is low intervention and allowing the wine to have a voice without putting technology and an interfering winemaker in the way. Biodynamic principles have been adopted though they have not sought certification. The winemaker wants a vineyard in rude health, dry farmed and untrammelled by artificial fertiliser, pesticides and herbicides and where working on foot and by hand are the order of the day. They call it balance; ‘balance in the wines, balance in the winery and balance in the terroir’. Koen is obsessive about the relationship of his vines with the environment and the work that he has done and continues to do to get the best from them.

Our farm and philosophy

The valley is almost crater like, surrounded by a craggy fringe of mountains and the vineyard is on a plateau where nowhere is below 200m above sea level. Temperatures here are about 3 degrees lower, as an average, than surrounding areas, and the valley often funnels cooling sea breezes from the Atlantic a few kilometres away. The geography and the climate mean that rainwater is retained in the clay soils mixed with iron-rich ferricreet cobbles and shales, and it is in these nutrient poor soils that the vines are planted at a high density to help with the control of yields.

Winemaker Koen Roose is a former sommelier and ex-engineer, originally from Belgium, and freely admits to being a bit crazy… He has exactly the right attitude to making iconic wine: disregard what anyone else thinks, show passion and determination, and let the vines do the talking. About the Winemaker His aim is to produce elegant wines that are sexy and pure but at the same time unique, “a little wild even”, says Koen. Squeaky clean is not for him. Personality is important and at Spioenkop, whether it’s to do with his atypical vineyard plantings or the combination of Old and New World in his boutique wine cellar, Koen manages to bring the best out of his grapes. He honed his winemaking skills under mentors like Francois Naudé from L’Avenir in Stellenbosch, mastering the art of creating a wine that carries finesse. His award winning Pinotage wines are cited a homage to his mentor. He also worked the vines at Tokara Wine Estate and Chantal Lescure in Burgundy, learning the best of Old and New World techniques.

OUR BRANDS

Spioenkop Range

The signature range: Riesling, Pinotage and Chenin with a unique style that reflects the stubbornness of the winemaker. Vines that are atypical of the Elgin terroir, but love it – showing off the cool climate finesse. All grapes are grown on the Spioenkop farm.

“1900” Range

The classic Elgin varietals such as Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. Nonetheless they stand out as they are made with the same passion and precision. It also includes the 2nd Pinotage made of non-estate grapes.

Spioenkop Wines, Elgin, South Africa.