The Darling region, famous for its colorful, spring wild flowers, used to be part of the Swartland wine route, but due to its popularity and increase in wineries, this has now been declared a separate wine route. There are now 5 wine regions all producing high quality wines that are concentrated because of the perfect climatic conditions. Here you will find some of the most elegant and exquisite wines being produced. The Groenekloof area was discovered in 1682 and thought to be perfect for farming, however, it was upon the arrival of the Cape Governor lieutenant, Charles Henry Darling in 1852 that this town was founded with the establishment of his farm, Langfoentein. It is easy to visit this lovely West Coast town and peruse the different wineries.
Ondine is part of the Ormonde Private Cellar brand in Darling, South Africa founded by the Basson family in 1970. The Basson family roots penetrate deep into the history of Darling. Being of a big family, grandfather Vernon Basson settled on a farm in Philadelphia, a town close to Darling. The patriarch of the Basson Family, Nico, was an avid animal lover and returned to Darling in 1970 when he bought the farm to start a highly acclaimed dairy stud farm.
Ormonde has ambitiously undertaken to build a new cellar that was completed in time for the 2006 harvest. The cellar's ultra-modern design utilizes state of the art equipment in combination with traditional techniques like open fermentation - cold soak - and barrel fermentation to ensure their unwavering commitment to quality.
The estate is currently run by Nico's grandson, Theo. Theo is a very dynamic and engaging, but humble winemaker. He has visited the USA on many occasions and is truly committed to supplying the US market with the highest quality wines from South Africa at the most affordable price. With his various labels including Westerland, Basson hopes to be joined by other quality-conscious winemakers introducing the best this country has to offer. With visionaries like Basson, it's not just about making great wine. It's also about a national pride of proving to the world that his country can make great wines alongside any other.
May 2010 Limited Series Newsletter (.pdf)
