The birth of GlenWood
In 1984, sitting on the Nature’s Window koppie above GlenWood, owner, Alastair Wood, was completely entranced by the view of the Robertsvlei Valley surrounded by the Franschhoek Mountain range. His offer to purchase was only subject to soil samples being satisfactory for the production of top-quality wines, which was subsequently shown to be the case. Done! 53ha of pristine undeveloped farmland, 8kms from the agricultural village of Franschhoek in the heart of nature.
What started as a dream, resulted in farming and wine production. Without a farming background, and still being in the management consulting industry, Alastair immediately engaged with the experts and recruited a youthful “DP” Burger, recently out of Elsenburg, to partner with him to realize his dreams. Being from a 4th generation Franschhoek family, there was no doubt that DP would have any intentions of going anywhere soon, resulting in DP becoming an integral part of the GlenWood journey.
The winemaking journey began with the decision to plant Semillon (the traditional Franschhoek cultivar), Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz and Merlot. Rootstocks were carefully sourced to suit the varying soil types, which came into being as a result of the Berg River originally flowing through the Robertsvlei Valley before rerouting through the region in which the Berg River Dam is now located. The commitment to conserving nature has always remained top of mind for Alastair, DP and their teams, which earned them the WWF Conservation Champion Award in 2024.
Home of Chardonnay, Franschhoek
Once the vineyards were established, the focus for the next 30 years was on:
Selling grapes to local wineries to make outstanding wines under their own labels, whilst starting their GlenWood’s own wine production adventure, initially with small amounts of Semillon and Chardonnay produced for GlenWood by another winery.
Operating a small wine farm in Franschhoek, which brought with it an understanding of underlying economics, which included:
- The price received for top quality grapes which did not cover the costs of production;
- The attractiveness of establishing their own 150-ton cellar (in 2002) as the logical way to improve profitability, having started the GlenWood brand from their grapes vinified at another Franschhoek cellar.
Entering the exciting world of downstream functions in the wine industry, including understanding customer preferences, marketing and wine awards, selling wine, appointing local and international agents, management of wine stock, and so on, which proved to be an integral part of getting the brand to market.
They soon recognized that, as a boutique winery, they could not easily compete with larger wineries on their terms, so needed to focus on a specific cultivar, which, as we know today, turned out to be Chardonnay with GlenWood ultimately becoming known as “Home of Chardonnay, Franschhhoek”.
Food and wine
In 2018 the brand expanded to include the addition of a restaurant. This decision was borne out of an idea to look for ways to further improve their profitability. As was immediately apparent, this strategy worked well since, not only did it bring ‘feet to the farm’, but visitors were exposed to their wines as well as the breathtaking surroundings.
With the onset of Covid, and the reduction in international guests, they were once again faced with challenges on how to attract visitors to the farm as well as finding a gap in the Franschhoek restaurant portfolio. The answer was sushi, which is not only a popular cuisine, but also pairs superbly with the GlenWood Chardonnays. They recruited a top sushi chef who had worked for 18 years with the first Japanese Master Sushi Chef in South Africa, and in 2021 their sushi restaurant was opened to the public.
The restaurant continues to be extremely highly regarded by patrons who appreciate the quality, the value, as well as the service provided by their outstanding team and the very beautiful natural environment which surrounds them.
And then there’s fynbos
When confronted by the decision on whether to replant vineyards in those blocks which had reached the end of their economic lives, they evaluated a number of options including vines but decided to diversify their farming operations to include fynbos, and in particular, to plant:
- Blushing Brides, also known as “The Pride of Franschhoek” (Serruria Florida), which is endemic to the Robertsvlei Valley, and which still grows wild in the mountains in the southernmost corner of the valley;
- King Proteas (Protea Cynaroides) which are well-suited to certain areas of the farm;
- Pincushions (Leucospernum) which are sought-after in overseas markets.
To date they have 4.5ha ha under fynbos, the flowers from which are exported overnight to Aalsmeer near Amsterdam. The flowers are auctioned the next morning and shipped to all parts of the world - another fascinating market and quite different to the wine industry.
In conclusion
Over the last 40 years and in response to changes in economic conditions, GlenWood has evolved from being 53 ha of undeveloped land, to being a grape farm, to having its own cellar, to adding a sushi restaurant, to growing and exporting fynbos, while continuing to be located in an area of truly outstanding natural beauty.
Would Alastair do it all over again? There is no doubt that he would, provided that he has a property as beautiful as GlenWood and that he has the same team to develop it with him.
Cheers to the next 40!
For more information, visit www.glenwoodvineyards.co.za.