The farm and the mountain
Worcester is a town of almost 80,000 people located 120km north-east of
Cape Town in the
Western Cape. It was named after the Marquis of Worcester, the brother of the one-time Cape governor Lord Charles Somerset in 1822. Today, it is the Breede River Valley's administrative capital and largest town and is central to the
Western Cape interior's commercial, distribution and retail activities.
The surrounding Breede River Valley is the largest wine producing region in
South Africa, contributing almost 20% of the country's vinicultural output. 33 Wineries currently produce and bottle in the Worcester area, and the nearby Olof Bergh Solera Brandy Cellar and the KWV Cellar form part of the South African Brandy Route. The nearby Hex River Valley produces more the 17 million cartons of table grapes per annum, and olive production has also been added to the regions repertoire in recent years.
Worcester experiences more extreme temperatures than neighbouring
Cape Town, as the oceanic influences are blocked by the Du Toitskloof and Slanghoek Mountain Ranges to the west. The daytime maximum in summer averages over 30 degrees Celsius with generally dry weather, although late summer thunderstorm can occur. Winters are generally windy and cool to cold with snow common on the higher lying regions. Daytime maximum averages range from 10 to 17 degrees Celsius, with minimums hovering at or just above freezing. Winter brings most of Worcester's 175mm annual rainfall
