Orange River Wines has 5 wineries situated in the towns of Kakamas, Keimoes, Upington (head office), Grootdrink and Groblershoop, all situated along the banks of the Orange River in a part of the Northern Cape called the Green Kalahari. The head office is in Upington, but you can taste and purchase wines at any of the wineries, and also online.
A special feature of the wines produced in the Green Kalahari are the range of aromas and tastes produced within an overall full-bodied, easy-drinking, fruit-driven character, thanks to unique terroir along the 300km wine producing area. The wines are sourced from over 750 individual vineyards along the Orange River and are known for their quality.
The Green Kalahari is a terroir of contrasts – it is the Southern Kalahari, and like the Northern Kalahari it is a desert, but for the verdant area around the life-giving Orange River (also called the Gariep River). The Green Kalahari combines low rainfall and high temperatures with fertile well watered vineyards – irrigated by the Orange River, with all the minerals the water carries from its source in the Lesotho Drakensberg Mountains and its often white-water travels through ancient arid and rocky landscapes.
The Orange River is revered by the indigenous people of the Northern Cape as a giver of life, so perhaps some the spirit of this great, lively and powerful river is absorbed by the grapes as they ripen under the hot African sun…the true locals of this magical part of South Africa, the San, would insist so.
| More info on the quaint town of Upington | More info on the Green Kalahari area |
