A very important aspect of growing high quality grapes for the purposes of winemaking is the soil type the vines are planted in. At Steenberg Vineyards, a clue about the soil type is in the title itself: Steenberg translates directly into ‘Stone Mountain’, as it is named after the decomposed granite soils which are visible on its slopes.

The stony hillside on which the farm lies, (an extension of the Table Mountain Range) has its part to play in creating the unique terroir at Steenberg. In fact, the decomposed granite soil in which our vines are planted has its very own story. Whilst the farm was founded in 1682, the earth below it is much older. It is known as the Peninsula Granite rock formation and was formed 540 million years ago. A large emplacement of igneous intrusive (also called plutonic) rock formed from cooled magma deep in the earth, but has since then been exposed by prolonged erosion and is now visible for all to see.