Springfield Chardonnay ´Wild Yeast´

Wine Story

Springfield Estate is a family owned wine estate situated in the Western Cape of Southern Africa. Descended from the French Huguenots, the Bruwer family has been farming on the land, now known as Springfield, for five generations. With generational knowledge handed down since 1898, vineyards are planted in specific sites to capture the best varietal characteristics of each cultivar.

Many of the wines at Springfield Estate are made using natural yeast, with Abrie Bruwer being one of the pioneers in the country using this technique. This allows the character and the individuality of the grape to truly show itself, although the mercurial and temperamental yeast sometimes has it’s own ideas! Due to the wild yeast fermentation, the family strives to work as naturally as possible, both in the vineyard and the cellar, with minimal sprays used in the vineyard, and a hands-off approach in the cellar – leaving more time for the family’s favourite pursuit, fishing!

Current custodians, brother-and-sister team Abrie and Jeanette Bruwer, are always looking for the purest expression of the grape in the glass. Sharing a similar quirky personality and love for traveling with Frank, Jeanette, who is in charge of the export and sales side of the business, quickly found a valued and long-term partner in the form of Matthys Wines, with many glasses of wine and fascinating stories shared over the years.

Farming, and making wine, is a series of small decisions that need to be made every day, and the family’s motto, ‘Made on Honour’, guides these decisions every step of the way. Similairly, their relationship with Matthys Wines has been a decision that has been blessed with good fortune since the start.