Arabella Wines

The De Wet family's roots in the Robertson Valley run deeper than almost any other winemaking family in South Africa. The first De Wet arrived in the Cape in 1693, and many generations later a descendant came to own a large property along the Cogmanskloof River. The land that is now Arabella Wines has been in the family since the 1860s, making the De Wets sixteenth-generation farmers on this stretch of the Breede River Valley.

Vines have been grown here for generations, but the modern story of Arabella begins in 2006, when Stephen de Wet — who had been making wine from the family vineyards since the age of seventeen — invested in a new cellar, bottling hall, and tasting room. The name Arabella was chosen as a play on the beautiful Arabian horses that graze the farm's verdant pastures, and the elegant horse motif runs through the brand's identity.

Stephen has since passed his passion to his son Jamie, and today father and son make wine hand-in-hand. Both are keen endurance riders — Jamie received his national colours in 2004 — and the family's love of horses and open countryside is woven into the Arabella story. Every family member is involved in the business, from the vineyard to the tasting room.

The farm's main varieties are Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot, Pinotage, Viognier, and Chardonnay. Robertson's warm days, cool nights, and limestone-rich soils along the Breede River produce wines with generous fruit and supple tannins. The Arabella Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon has become a standout, building a loyal international following through Naked Wines as one of the highest-rated and best-selling regional reserve Cabernets in the retailer's history.

What sets Arabella apart is its combination of heritage, quality, and accessibility. Wines range from R33 to R95 a bottle at the cellar door — extraordinary value for wines of this calibre. Tasting is free, bookings are not required, and there is plenty of space. It is the kind of family wine farm where visitors are genuinely welcome, the wines consistently over-deliver for the price, and the story stretches back further than most estates can claim.

The cellar sits in the heart of the Ashton area along the Robertson wine route, surrounded by the rolling vineyards and horse paddocks that give the estate its distinctive character. It is a working farm in the truest sense, where the rhythms of the seasons dictate the pace of life.

Arabella is proof that great Robertson wine does not need a grand price tag to earn respect.