Sounding more like a poet breaking into tender verse before his rapt audience, Abrie Bruwer, the owner/winemaker of Springfield Estate in the Robertson Valley, describes in almost emotional terms the harshness of the terrain where he and his fellow winemakers battle against the elements as they go about the business of producing their award-winning wines.

"With a rainfall of only 200mm a year, Robertson is a virtual desert," he sighs, explaining how the days in the valley are almost always hot and dry, the nights cold. The area, which encompasses the small towns of Ashton, Bonnievale, McGregor, Montagu and Robertson, is surrounded by mountains and is cut through by the Breede River, which supplies the farmers' water. And with its diversity of terroir, it is indeed, he reminds the none too displeased media contingent assembled for a presentation of the Valley's star wines, a unique wine growing region.

Also gathered beneath an outcrop of time-gnarled mountains near the rocky tunnel that leads one to Montagu, where a formal tasting has been set up alongside a bubbling river, are the 41 members of the Robertson Wine Valley Association. All were invited to submit wines for the day's showcase, with a panel of blind tasters selecting the best 24 for our sampling purposes.

And the labels which grace our tasting glasses represent some of South Africa's best: names like Graham Beck, Weltevrede, Bon Courage, Springfield, De Wetshof, Rooiberg, Bon Cap, Roodezandt and Kranskop, to name a few.

The tasting of each wine is preceded by a short talk by the respective winemakers ? and it's not only Bruwer who has a touch of the poet in him. Out in the Robertson Valley, the winemakers are also artists, each speaking of the region, the winemaking and the fruits of their burdens with incredible passion.

"The Robertson Wine Valley has experienced something of a wine evolution over the past few decades," says Philip Jonker, the association's chairman and second generation (after his father, Lourens) winemaker at Weltevrede. Not too long ago, the region was better known for its dessert wines and Colombard, and, more recently, Chardonnay, Sauvignon blancs and Cap Classiques. Thanks to a revolutionary red wine project started in the early 1990's, these days Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon from the Robertson Wine Valley are also grabbing the attention of wine consumers here and internationally.

And present at the showcase, illustrating what Jonker calls the "cross-section of outstanding quality wines" that can be produced in the region, are five Chardonnays, two Sauvignon Blancs, a Colombard, two dessert wines, a Cap Classique and 13 red wines ? "each wine in the line-up... an individualistic and unique expression of its terroir although they all represent a quality standard set by us for the Robertson appellation."

Part of the region's success is due to the association's belief that pooled resources, both financial and personal, would always outweigh individual efforts. The association was formed in 1983 as the Robertson Wine Trust and its focus, until very recently, has been on improving the quality of the Valley's wines and the generic marketing thereof.

And it has certainly paid off. The last year has been a highly successful one for the Valley's wineries in local and international wine shows and competitions. Some of the recent accolades include:

  • Bon Courage Estate won three double gold medals at this year's Veritas Awards ? for their 2003 Colombard/Chardonnay, Weisser Riesling Natural Sweet of the same vintage and a 2001 Noble Late Harvest. Bon Courage also took home an additional four gold medals.

  • Weltevrede Estate won the WINE Magazine Amorim Cork Cap Classique Challenge with its Philip Jonker Brut 1999. Graham Beck came a close second and had four wines in the top eight, all of which received four stars.

  • Weltevrede Estate won two Veritas Double Golds last year, both for Chardonnay. Weltevrede was also one of three Robertson Wine Valley wineries in the top-eight Veritas performers. In addition, with seven medals, Weltevrede Estate took home more medals than any other entrant at the recent 2003 Michaelangelo International Wine Awards.

  • In Tom Stevenson's Champagnes and Sparkling Wine Guide 2002, Graham Beck had four Cap Classiques in his SA top six, including first and second place.

  • Bon Courage Shiraz 2003 won the Jan Smuts Trophy for the National Wine Competition at the 2003 SA National Young Wine Show. A third of all the National Champion wines at the SA National Young Wine Show came from the Robertson district, including Roodezandt's Chardonnay, H. Reyneke's (Burgershif) Red Blend and Muscadel, and Rooiberg's Pinotage.

  • Graham Beck was awarded the trophy for the best Shiraz at the 2003 International Wine Challenge. Graham Beck was awarded the Wine-of-the-Month Club's Winemaker of the Year Award with five wines selected during the year. weltevrede Estate shared second place with four wines selected.

    In a drive to promote tourism to the area, the Robertson Wine Valley has positioned itself as The Heart of Route 62. The aim is to attract more visitors to this destination on the popular Route 62, the meandering route between the Cape and the Garden Route. And it's only an hour and a half drive from Cape Town!

    For more information on the wines of the Robertson Wine Valley, visit: www.robertsonwinevalley.co.za, or http://routes.wine.co.za/robertson/ and click here for a map of the region.