About Us
EAGLE’S CLIFF
About
Situated between Villiersdorp and Worcester, in the breathtakingly beautiful Breede River Valley, is the home of Eagle’s Cliff Wines. We produce a wide range of exceptional quality red and white wines, namely Arendskloof, Eagle’s Cliff, Dwyka Hills and Hoeks Rivier.
Christiaan Groenewald, who is the founder of the New Cape Wines Company, won the prestigious Diner’s Club Winemaker of the Year Award in 2013 with his Tannat Syrah 2011 and again in 2017 with his Eagle’s Cliff Pinotage 2017. He is one of only 5 winemakers to have received this award twice.
New Cape Wines distributes its award-winning wine ranges locally, and also exports to Europe, destined mainly for Germany and Switzerland.
About
Our History
After completing his army service and studies at Stellenbosch University, Christiaan Groenewald – owner and winemaker at Eagle’s Cliff Wines – worked as an agricultural economist and financial planner in the banking and insurance industries prior to managing a wine export company, and, eventually, starting up New Cape Wines. Christiaan grew up on the farm where his father grew wine grapes and was involved in the wine industry, so he was exposed to the wine business from a young age. His father did not make wine himself, but, as a founding member and board member of a co-operative cellar, he was always involved in the wine industry.
Our Vineyards
Situated in the Breede River valley between Worcester and Villiersdorp, the farm gets a Karoo influence on the cool breezes at night from Hermanus. Two distinct terroir, south east and north west, presents the opportunity for completely different styles on one property. The cooler slopes are perfect for Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, while the rocky soil on the other side is ideal for other reds and Tannat in particular. We are blessed with our soil. The Hoeks River runs through the farm from south to north. There is a cooler east side and warmer west side and also a plain for the Syrah. The soil is greatly varied, ranging from sand to stone to clay. Christiaan describes Worcester as the ideal region to produce quality reds. ‘There are exceptional vineyards on the ideal terroir in this valley, and with special effort and patience, the Worcester wine region can become the leading wine-producing area in the country.’
Meet the
Meet our Winemaker
After school Christiaan attended the University of Stellenbosch where he obtained a degree in Agriculture and later an MBA in Business Administration. He became an agricultural economist and later a financial planner. He has always been passionate about wine and is fascinated by the fact that the same cultivar can taste and smell so different, simply by using different techniques and yeasts. After his father died, Christiaan built the cellar on the farm in 2003. Here he makes the Eagle’s Cliff range of wines for those who are less informed and who seek quality wines at a reasonable price. For the connoisseur, he makes something special with his Arendskloof range.
Where artistry meets the vine, every drop tells a story.
