Piekenierskloof Wine Company
South Africa
About
Nestled in the Citrusdal Mountains, some 50 kilometers north of Swartland, is the magnificent Piekenierskloof plateau, which provides the perfect natural environment for vineyards to thrive. At 750 meters above sea level, the plateau’s climate is characterised by hot (warm) days and cool nights, which allow grapes to slowly ripen and develop complex fruit flavours. Ungrafted bush vines planted in the 1950’s are still used in theproduction of Piekenierskloof Wine Company’s range of Fairtrade wines.
Certifications
Winemaker
Alecia Boshoff
Alecia Boshoff, a born Swartlander, studied Viticulture and Enology at the University of Stellenbosch. After gaining practical experience as harvest-intern at Haselgrove Winery in Mclaren Vale, Australia, she was awarded Winemaker of the Year on her very first harvest as assistant winemaker at Upington Cellar. Promoted to Junior winemaker, she had the privilege of working at Chateau la Forêt, in Bordeaux, France for a harvest. She excelled as Red Winemaker at Riebeek Valley Wine Co. and received numerous national and international awards. On completion of her MBA, she was promoted to Production Manager/Head Winemaker and under her guidance Riebeek Valley Wine Co. was awarded Cooperative of the Year by Tim Atkin in 2020. Alecia started a custom crush facility at Riebeek Valley Wine Co. to accommodate boutique winemakers, and today The Playroom is a successful custom crush facility with a capacity of 400 tons. Alecia thereafter joined the team at Namaqua Wines as Cellar Master, however, her love for the Swartland and its bush vines runs deep, and as such she joined Piekenierskloof Wine Company as the new Cellar Manager/Winemaker in December 2022.
