Bonnievale Wine Estate
In the southern part of the Robertson district lies the small town of Bonnievale, and here is also the wine collective Bonnievale Wine Estate. The vineyard is situated along the Breede River. As mentioned, Bonnievale is a cooperative where many fields around the village supply grapes to Bonnievale Wines.
The town of Bonnievale was founded by the visionary Scotsman Christopher Forrest Rigg around the 19th century. Rigg saw the potential in the then-semi-arid valley along the banks of the Breede River. He used most of his own resources and his persuasive skills to sell the idea to like-minded pioneers and people looking to start in the area. He was behind the construction of an irrigation canal that helped kickstart agriculture, including grape cultivation in fields with truly perfect soil conditions. To this day, the old irrigation project still constitutes the largest part of the overall irrigation potential in the town.
