OUR

VINEYARDS

The Alvi’s Drift vineyards are cool, pleasant and inspirational. Just like our wines

Discover the conditions that make the Alvi’s Drift vineyards so unique.


"Our vineyards, situated in the cool-climate wine ward of Scherpenheuwel, are incredibly diverse. We have so many different soil types – and so many rootstocks – to choose from. Rootstocks for clay, for limestone, for shale, for sandy soils, all of them resulting in different flavours. Over the years, we’ve spent a lot of time finding out what works for us.”

- Alvi van der Merwe -

Alvis Drift Winery

An Ideal Location

Blessed with an ideal Mediterranean microclimate, the cooling night-time Atlantic Ocean breeze, diverse topography, soils, and an abundance of water, the Alvi’s Drift vineyards are ideally positioned for producing remarkable South African wines of singular character and complexity. The location of each vineyard is a matter of meticulous planning, and the soil type, topography and sun and wind exposure that best aligns with each grape varietal are carefully considered.

MORE ABOUT OUR FARM

“We have sandy soils from the ancient riverbanks, granite, shale, red Karoo soils, even black slate. On the southern slopes across the river, you’ll find the hard, red calcareous soil, also known as dorbank, that the Breede River Valley is so famous for. Dotted around, you'll also encounter ancient limestone banks, brought to the surface by termites during the Jurassic period. These limestone banks are where we cultivate our Sauvignon Blanc. The Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vineyards are planted on a combination of south-facing ancient shale and black slate slopes and are the birthplace of our internationally acclaimed Cap Classique sparkling wines."

- Junel van der Merwe -

UNIQUE TERROIR

It is to this remarkable combination of climate, soils, and topography, together with an abundance of water from the Breede River, that Alvi’s Drift wines owe their distinctive, fruit-driven character and complexity. Elegantly expressing the extraordinary terroir of their vineyards, Alvi’s Drift wines are infused with a true sense of place, along with the passion of all who brought them into being.

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Alvis Drift Winery

“Years ago, we conducted a climate study and learnt that, on average, this region is about one-and-a-half degrees cooler than Stellenbosch. This got me excited. I knew our microclimate meant that great wines could be produced right here.”

- Alvi van der Merwe -