Orange River is an inland wine-producing area in the Northern Cape, 400 miles (645km) north of Cape Town. Sitting at a latitude of 28°S, it is the northernmost wine-producing region of South Africa. Orange River is associated with the production of bulk wine, and white varieties such as Chenin Blanc, Colombard and Hanepoot (Muscat of Alexandria) are planted extensively.
The bulk of the vineyards in the area stretch 120 miles (193km) along the river from the town of Kakamas in the west to Groblershoop in the east. The area's location on the southern edge of the Kalahari Desert, some 250 miles (400km) from the west coast, means that the climate is hot and very dry. The Orange River itself regulates temperatures, creating a mesoclimate suitable for the production of wine.
Growers manage their vineyards carefully to temper the effects of the unforgiving climate. Overhead trellising and canopy management are vital to provide ample shade for the grapes during the growing season. Drip and flood irrigation is widely used throughout the region, with the river providing an abundant source of water for agriculture.
The soil is characteristic of the nearby desert. Red and gravelly around the river banks, it provides ample drainage and nutrients for the production of wine. Further from the river’s edge, the soils are chalkier, with deposits of lime and quartzite.
Grapes were first planted in Orange River in the early 20th Century for the production of raisins. It wasn’t until the 1960s, when irrigation technologies improved, that the area began to yield grapes suitable for wine production. Nowadays, the largest wine co-operative in the southern hemisphere (Orange River Cellars) operates along the river, harvesting around 140,000 tons of grapes a year. The majority of grapes grown in the area are made into white wine, although there is a growing contingent of red wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage and Shiraz.
