Darling Cellars

History

In 1948, 20 farmers from the Darling area came together and formed a Co-operative to represent them and make their wines. So, Mamreweg Co-operative Wine Cellar was established. Prior to that wine was made on every farm, in the barn, but mostly for private consumption. With Mamreweg, the opportunity was created to commercially sell wine and thus the wine trade in the Darling area started.

Throughout the years, “bush vine” vineyards became a more familiar site between all the grain fields and cow paddocks in the area. Still today, “bush vines” dominate the area, rather than trellised vines.

The most popular varietals of yesteryear were Chenin Blanc and Cinsaut. Some other varietals came and went, but in the early 1980’s noble varietals were planted for the first time in the area. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc became the popular and “in” varietals to plant.

Then in 1996, the Board of Mamreweg decided that a dramatic change was needed in the approach to business. Quality and bottled product were the two elements identified that would drive the cellar into the future. So a shift from bulk wine production and volume lead to the establishment of Darling Cellars (Pty) Ltd in 1997.

New branding and brands followed the change, with investments in cellar equipment, wine making techniques, the addition of a bottling line and also a rethink of the varietals needed to achieve this new vision of quality.

Today, Darling Cellars (Pty) Ltd is a proud producer of world class Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz. The focus on quality drives our winemaking team and as such, Darling Cellars focuses on varietals which suit the area and display the unique terroir we have in this special part of South Africa, on the West Coast.