The oldest estate in Swartland, Leeuwenkuil Family Vineyards, dates back to 1693, when the farm's primary crops were grain, cattle, and wine. As a result, the estate was a popular destination for travellers coming and going from Cape Town.

The estate's name, Leeuwenkuil, meaning "Lion's Den," comes from the Cape Mountain Lions that once found refuge along the banks of the Klapmuts River, a small stream that flows through the farm.

Leeuwenkuil Family Vineyards was purchased by the Dreyer family in 1850, and Willie Sr. and his wife Emma, who are seventh generation, currently manage it. Thanks to Willie's substantial planting investments, Leeuwenkuil is currently the biggest vineyard in the Cape Coastal region.

The majority of the grapes are dry-farmed and have very low carbon footprints because there is a shortage of sustainable irrigation water. One hundred hectares of the 1,200 hectares under vine are organic, and the remaining hectares are farmed responsibly. In 2020, Leeuwenkuil constructed a state-of-the-art winery and began vinifying their first grapes, creating distinctive and distinctive Swartland wines.

Read more at the Leeuwenkuil Family Vineyards website