Waterkloof: Horse-Drawn Biodynamics & Gravity-Fed Wine

Waterkloof uses horses instead of tractors - Percheron draft horses till between vine rows to preserve soil biology, a practice almost no winery in the world still follows. The gravity-fed cellar (Castle Rock Design, 2009) is a glass-and-concrete sphere with a 10-meter promontory jutting over False Bay - wine flows from crush to barrel without a single pump touching it. Inside that glass dining room, Chorus restaurant (Chefs Bertus Basson and Gregory Czarnecki) serves hyper-seasonal menus paired with estate wines - the previous incarnation won Best Restaurant in South Africa (Eat Out 2018). Try the Circle of Life range or the Seriously Cool Cinsault from vines that predate the building by decades.

What to do there

4 things to do

1. 1 Watch Percheron Horses Do the Work of Tractors Adventure · Free

   Seven draft horses farming 56 hectares of biodynamic vineyards

   Waterkloof uses seven Percheron draft horses instead of tractors to farm their 56 hectares. Each horse-and-worker team is responsible for 8 hectares. They plow, mow, spread compost, spray compost tea, and even harvest grapes. The horses' hooves are gentler on the soil than heavy machinery. They fit easily between closely planted old vines without damage. They eliminate carbon emissions. This is how vineyards were farmed 100 years ago - and almost NO winery still does this. The estate converted to biodynamic farming in 2008, treating the farm as a single living organism. Free-roaming chickens eat insect pests and provide nitrogen. Cows produce compost. Dorper sheep control weeds. But the Percherons are the stars - beautiful white and brown horses doing work that teaches handlers a rare, nearly lost skill. Waterkloof Wine Estate vineyards, Sir Lowry's Pass Road, Somerset West. When you arrive, ask the tasting room staff: 'Where can I see the horses today?' The teams work different vineyard blocks on rotation. If the horses are working, walk to the vineyard edge and watch. If they're resting, ask to see the barn or stables. The staff are proud of the horses and happy to share their schedule. If the horses aren't visible, watch the short video 'Biodynamics on Camera' at waterkloofwines.co.za. Or simply walk the vineyards and notice the lack of tractor ruts - the soil is alive, not compacted.

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2. 2 Taste Wine That Gravity Made - No Pumps Allowed Wine · Price: moderate

   The glass-and-concrete cellar floating over False Bay

   Waterkloof's cellar is both ultra-modern and radically traditional. The entire structure is gravity-fed - wine flows from crush to barrel without a single pump touching it. Grapes are sorted at the top of the building, then gravity moves them down through open-top wooden fermenters (for reds), whole-bunch pressing (for whites), and into barrels. No mechanical pumping means no oxidation, no heat damage, no stress on the wine. The 10-meter glass promontory juts out over the Schaapenberg Hills with views to False Bay below. Tall glass walls reveal the working cellar - you watch biodynamic winemaking in real time. Raw concrete columns frame artworks by South African artists. This is the intersection of architecture, art, and wine at the highest level. Book at Dineplan or call +27 21 858 1292. Open daily 10am-3:30pm. Waterkloof tasting room, the 10-meter-high glass promontory overlooking False Bay. Wine tasting R150-450 depending on selection. Ask to see the gravity-fed cellar - the staff will explain how wine moves through the building by height alone. Taste the Circle of Life range or the Seriously Cool Cinsault (from vines planted before the building existed). Ask: 'How does gravity affect the wine?' The answer: gentler extraction, purer flavors, more terroir expression. If you can't visit the cellar, taste the wines and notice the purity and precision. Compare a Waterkloof Chenin Blanc to a conventionally pumped version - the difference is texture.

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3. 3 Lunch in the Glass Dining Room Floating Over the Ocean Adventure · Price: high

   Chorus Restaurant - hyper-seasonal 4 or 6 courses with Waterkloof pairings

   Chorus is the work of Bertus Basson and Gregory Czarnecki - the duo whose previous restaurant won Best Restaurant in SA (Eat Out 2018). The space is a glass-and-steel structure that appears to float above the farm, with 180-degree views of the Schaapenberg slopes, False Bay, and the ocean beyond. They serve exclusively hyper-seasonal 4-course and 6-course menus - every dish paired with Waterkloof wines. The ingredients come from the estate's biodynamic farm, surrounding Durbanville farms, and the False Bay coast. You're eating food grown where horses plow and chickens roam, matched with wine that gravity made, in a room that feels suspended in air. Chorus Restaurant at Waterkloof (opened October 18, 2022). Open for lunch Mon-Sun, dinner Thu-Sat. Bookings essential at chorusrestaurant.com or 021 858 1491. Book well in advance - Chorus is one of the Cape's most sought-after reservations. Choose the 6-course menu for the full experience. Ask your server about the biodynamic ingredients and which Waterkloof wines are paired with each course. The Circle of Life range will likely appear. Watch the vineyards through the glass while you eat - you might see the Percherons working. If Chorus is fully booked (or outside your budget), enjoy a cheese and charcuterie platter in the tasting room with the same views. The glass architecture and False Bay panorama are accessible without the full restaurant experience. Tasting room R150-450.

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4. 4 Find the Only Winery Where Horses, Chickens, and Sheep Make the Wine Wine · Free · Optional

   Biodynamic farming as a living system

   Biodynamic farming treats the entire farm as a single organism. At Waterkloof, seven Percheron horses plow and harvest. Free-roaming chickens eat vineyard pests (codling moth, vine mealybug) and their droppings add nitrogen - plus they provide free-range eggs for the restaurant. Cows produce manure for compost heaps. Dorper sheep graze between vine rows, controlling weeds without herbicides. Every animal has a purpose. The estate has been biodynamic since 2008 - no synthetic pesticides, no chemical fertilizers, no pumps in the cellar. The philosophy: a vineyard that is truly alive and in tune with nature produces wines of vitality and strong sense of place. You can TASTE the difference - Waterkloof wines have a purity and minerality that conventionally farmed wines lack. Walk the Waterkloof estate grounds (56 hectares of vineyards on south-facing Schaapenberg slopes). Count the species. Horses, chickens, cows, sheep, native fynbos, indigenous insects. This is biodiversity in action. Ask any staff member: 'How does biodynamic farming change the wine?' The answer will include words like 'alive,' 'connected,' 'terroir,' and 'balance.' Taste a Waterkloof Chenin Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc - the bright acidity and mineral backbone come from healthy, living soil. If you can't walk the estate, simply observe from the tasting room or restaurant. You'll see chickens roaming, sheep grazing, and - if you're lucky - the white-and-brown Percherons pulling equipment. The entire farm is a stage for this philosophy.

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