Background

Wild Olive Farm is a working wine and olive farm situated off the R46, approximately 6km from Tulbagh and about an hour and 15 minutes from Cape Town. The farm is 133 Hectares in size (+- 300 acres) and is nestled in the foothills of the Witzenberg mountain range. The farm has an established tourism business comprised of self catering cottages and a campsite which offers guests the opportunity to relax and unwind in a tranquil and scenic environment.

Wild Olive Farm is owned by Brendon, born and bred in  Durban and Sue McHugh, a Londoner. Both previously hail from the corporate IT world of Shell based in the UK and the Netherlands, who gave up their laptops, teleconferences and pinstripe suits and returned to SA for a new life in the beautiful Tulbagh valley. They took over the reins of Wild Olive Farm in November 2002 and, along with their two young children, Jessica (5) and Tom (4), started a series of projects to develop the farm's tourism, viticulture and olive potential. 

Development

2003 saw the construction of three new self catering cottages as well as new plantings of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon wine grapes. The six hectares of 15 year old olive groves (Frantoio and Leccino cultivar) had been badly neglected for many years and with the help of Brendon's brother, Kevin, the groves underwent a rejuvenation with a viable crop taken in the 2005 and 2006 harvests.

2004 saw more wine grape plantings (Viognier, Mouverdre and Petit Verdoux) as well as a few more hectares of Olive trees. 2005 heralded the first Wild Olive Farm vintage being produced in the newly constructed winery as well as the pressing of the first extra virgin olive oils!