Warwick Estate

Situated in the foothills and mid-slopes of the Simonsberg Mountain, with altitudes ranging from 240 to 360 metres above sea level, our estate carries all the elements required to make world-class wine. With cooling factors from both elevation and ocean breezes, as well as a variety of slopes, aspects and soil types, the Warwick vineyards are a mix of classic Bordeaux cultivars, with a touch of South African stalwarts like Pinotage and old vine Chenin Blanc. Across both estates, Cabernet Sauvignon is the most planted cultivar, accounting for a quarter of the land under vine. Sauvignon Blanc is a close second, with our prized Cabernet Franc coming third. We have nine cultivars in total, with red cultivars accounting for two thirds of the land under vine.

It was only in 1964 that the Ratcliffe Family arrived on the scene, and it took winemaker Norma Ratcliffe, alongside her husband Stan, twenty years before they released their first wine. Warwick’s La Femme Bleu Cabernet Sauvignon was released in 1984, after which the estate went on to bottle the first ever ‘Cape Blend’ in the world, won multiple international wine awards, appeared on some of the planet’s most prestigious wine lists, and even became a wine of choice for James Bond in one of his many adventures.In many senses, the Warwick Estate brand that you know today was developed the same way one might nurture a grape vine; through decade upon decade of careful planning, pruning, and persistence. In 2018, setting our sights on the future, we acquired the neighbouring estate of Uitkyk. The acquisition of this new land under the leadership of an internationally experienced team is an exciting chapter to have added to Warwick’s history.But the word ‘history’ can sometimes be limiting, too. Because ‘history’ appears to give all the credit to the people and ignores what came earlier. Long before the fruit farm, and long before the Ratcliffe family, this little piece of the planet held greatness in its very soil. And more than just being part of our ‘history’, this land is our heritage.