Alheit Vineyards
アルヘイト・ヴィンヤーズ
Cult custodians of South Africa's ancient, dry-farmed Chenin Blanc vines.
About Alheit Vineyards
Founded in 2010 by husband-and-wife team Chris and Suzaan Alheit, Alheit Vineyards is based at Hemelrand farm on the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge near Hermanus, in the Walker Bay region of South Africa. Rather than owning a single estate vineyard, the Alheits work as negociant-style custodians of old, dry-farmed bushvines scattered across the Cape — including Skurfberg, Paardeberg (their own Nuwedam vineyard), Franschhoek, Bottelary Hills, False Bay/Stellenbosch, Botrivier and parcels sourced from the Swartland. Their flagship Cartology (Chenin Blanc with a portion of Semillon) achieved cult status from its very first vintage in 2011. The winemaking philosophy is strictly minimal-intervention: wild ferments, no added yeast or enzymes, no acidification, no new oak, and little to no added sulphur, aiming to let each historic site's own voice come through rather than a winemaker's signature.
Who Is This For?
For collectors and adventurous drinkers seeking site-specific, age-worthy white wines that showcase South Africa's oldest vineyards without winemaker artifice.
Wines of Alheit Vineyards
No cuvées registered yet.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Where is Alheit Vineyards actually based?
- Alheit Vineyards' cellar is at Hemelrand farm on the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge near Hermanus, in the Walker Bay region — though Chris and Suzaan Alheit met while studying at Stellenbosch University, the winery itself has always operated from Walker Bay.
- Does Alheit Vineyards own its own vineyards?
- Mostly not. Alheit works with a network of growers across the Cape, buying fruit from historic, dry-farmed bushvine sites such as Skurfberg, Franschhoek and the Swartland; their one wholly-owned vineyard is Nuwedam on the Paardeberg.
- What is Alheit Vineyards' most famous wine?
- Cartology, a Chenin Blanc blend with a small portion of Semillon sourced from old bushvines, is the flagship wine and became an instant cult classic from its debut 2011 vintage.
- Does Alheit Vineyards make wine from Swartland grapes?
- Yes — while the winery's home base is Walker Bay, some of their old-vine parcels, including fruit used in blends like Cartology, come from sites in the Swartland.
- What winemaking philosophy defines Alheit Vineyards?
- A strictly minimal-intervention approach: wild fermentation with native yeasts, no added enzymes or acidification, no new oak, and minimal sulphur, so that each old vineyard's own character comes through.