Cederberg Private Cellar PO Box 84 Clanwilliam 8135 South Africa
The Cederberg lies about 250 km north of Cape Town with its completely different landscape dramatic, rock formations and San rock art. (The pourous rock created caves with vibrant colours which had been used by the indiginous people as gathering places. Still today one can see the dramatic paintins on the cave walls.) Within two mountain ranges Citrusdal and Clanwilliam separating the farm from the Olifants River lies Cederberg Private Cellar on the farm Dwarsrivier. Cederberg Private Cellar claims to have the highest vineyards in the Western Cape, at between 950 and 1 100 m above sea level. The Cederberg Wilderness Area is administered by Cape Nature and benefits from cool Mediterranean climate with winter rainfall and no coastal influences with only 66 ha are under vine.
Winery with the altitude. The oldest inhabitants of Cederberg Region are San and Khoi people who left rich legacy of rock art. It was only during the mid-1800s that another tough group of people set foot in the Cederberg – the Nieuwoudt family. Six generations ago, no one would have guessed that this rugged, fynbos-covered area on the edge of the Succulent Karoo biome would one day become a high-altitude wine farm award-winning winery owned by David Nieuwoudt , proudly fifth generation. Emma, David’s daughter, is the sixth generation. In 1965 the family started planting table grape vines and these vines did so well that the first wine vines were planted in 1973. They were the source of the top-class Cabernet Sauvignon of 1977/8. David’s grandfather, Oom Pollie, and his uncle, Oom Flippie, managed the farm until 1997. During 1997 David took over, returned to the land where he grew up and decided to focus on wine.
Owner and the winemaker David Josephus Nieuwoudt was born in Citrusdal, the youngest of five children. During 1990 he finished school in Clanwilliam. After completing his national service year in the then SA Defence Force, David joined Elsenburg Agricultural College. At the end of 1996 he moved back to the farm and took over the winemaking reins from his uncle. Three years later Cederberg Private Cellar was awarded a 4,5-star rating in the 1999 edition of the Platter’s SA Wine Guide for a Chardonnay. In 2004 the Cederberg Shiraz 2002 won the award for the best red wine in South Africa. During 2008 the Cederberg Shiraz 2006 was awarded an International Trophy for the Best Rhône-style wine above £10 in the world at the annual Decanter World Wine awards. On two occasions Wine magazine has placed Cederberg Private Cellar among the top 10 wine farms in South Africa. These are a few of the awards and accolades bestowed on David. His favourite sayings are: ‘Keep it simple’ and ‘It’s as simple as that'.
