It’s no secret that I love wine. I’ve tasted wine from all over the world and if I’m honest, Istill believe that South African wine is the best. Maybe I’m biased, or maybe I’m not. So, you can only imagine how thrilled I was to discover a local wine estate in our very own KwaZulu-Natal a few years ago. This has become a firm favourite place of mine to frequent along the Midlands meander.

The Kassier family bought Highgate farm in 1996, what was then, a small 1-ha hydroponic vegetable farm in the misty hills of the Midlands. Initially, the modestbusiness served to supply local guest houses, coffee shops, hotels, and markets with fresh produce. As the demand grew, so did their supply to major supermarket chains throughout KZN.

The idea for the Piggly Wiggly Farm Stall originated because all the vegetables were grown on the farm. Under the large tree of the entrance, with just a few hay bales, some offcut pine, and a tin roof, the Farm Stall was able to successfully supply local passers-by with fresh produce, home-baked bread, speciality items, and craft dairy products. Its early origins consisted of little more than a tractor-drawn trailer filled daily with fresh food and sold a few metres from the earthy source.

The concept was humble and charming, naturally growing to the point of becoming a meeting and shopping destination for patrons from near and wide. Rudi and Cindy, the owners, used this opportunity to fuel their passionate love of food and wine to share more local produce with their community and visiting patrons. Piggly Wiggly has now become a household name locally and abroad. In 2004 Rudi paired up with the local Cedara Agricultural College to research whether producing wine locally in KZN would be feasible, and so the first block of vineyards was planted consisting of 26 different cultivars. Today, more than a decade later, the farm now boasts a five-hectare vineyard producing ten certified wines, including the first Chardonnay to be certified in 2010 within the Kwa-Zulu Natal region.

During 2017 and 2018 a fully-fledged cellar was constructed and at this time, Rudi’s daughter, Cathryn Kassier, had finished her studies in Stellenbosch and spent some time working at Ernie Els Wines. Rather unexpectedly, and incredibly romantically, this is where she met her now-husband Tom Herselman, who had also completed his studies in Stellenbosch and was a manager at Ernie Els Wines at the time. From this romance, the TOMCAT wine was born. This journey of thoughtfully produced food and wine is now shared with all through the farm’s elegant tasting room, various restaurants, and a variety of retail outlets at Piggly Wiggly.

A trip to the midlands would not be complete without a visit to Highgate Wine Estate. They now offer a beautiful restaurant and tasting room that is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday-and hopefully, as time goes on, they will open more days! Highgate offers and caters for weddings, functions and private events, as well as picnics and beautiful spots for proposals and photoshoots.

Between 2010 and 2015, the family produced wine as an interest rather than for commercial purposes, however, in 2016 Thornton Pillay, a Wine Maker and Viticulturist from Stellenbosch, joined Highgate and the winemaking process launched into the commercial sphere. Thornton had worked at Ernie Els wines, Groot Constantia, KWV,and in France (Burgundy), bringing his exceptional skill and experience–helping grow the farm to a fully functioning wine estate. As the interest and demand for wine grew,the opportunity arose to build a Tasting Room for showcasing and presenting the premium wines crafted. That year, the first commercially produced wines totalled 1500 bottles. Today, Highgate Wine Estate now produces 17 000 bottles per annum, and their goal is to increase their Vineyards over the next few years.