Groot Constantia

At the foot of the Constantiaberg, where the mountain meets the vine, lies the farm that started it all. Groot Constantia is not merely South Africa's oldest wine estate -- it is the birthplace of the country's entire wine industry, and it has been producing wines continuously since 1685.

The story begins with Governor Simon van der Stel of the Dutch East India Company, who arrived at the Cape in 1679 with a solid background in viticulture from his vineyards at Muiderbergh in the Netherlands. After sending riders across the peninsula to collect soil samples, he fell in love with 891 morgen of land behind Table Mountain for its wine-growing potential and magnificent scenery. On 13 July 1685, Commissioner Rijckloff van Goens granted Van der Stel title to the property. He named it Constantia -- possibly after Van Goens' daughter, or from the Latin word for constancy and steadfastness.

The wines produced on this estate soon caught the attention of the powerful and the literary across Europe. Frederick the Great of Prussia and Louis-Philippe, King of the French, bought 'Constantia Wyn' at auctions. Napoleon drank Grand Constance -- the French translation of Groot Constantia -- until his death on Saint Helena in 1821, supplied through agent Joseph Luson, who married into the Cloete family that owned the estate. The legendary sweet wine appears in Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility as a cure for a broken heart and in Charles Dickens' The Mystery of Edwin Drood as a means of lifting a character's spirits. In 2016, a 200-year-old bottle of Grand Constance broke all expectations at a rare wine auction.

The estate passed through many hands after Van der Stel's death in 1712, when Constantia was divided. The Cloete family became the most famous custodians, meticulously recording wine sales between 1800 and 1860. The original Cape Dutch Manor House, designed in a late Dutch Renaissance style, and the impressive Cloete Cellar still stand today. In 1993, the estate was transferred to a Not for Profit Company through an Act of Parliament -- the Groot Constantia Trust NPC RF -- ensuring that financial surplus is reinvested in operations and maintenance. Directors serve without compensation, driven by pride and passion.

Today, named South Africa's National Treasure, Groot Constantia is both a Provincial Heritage Site and a fully operational wine farm. The wine range spans from the approachable Lady of Abundance red blend through to the flagship Gouverneurs Reserve Red and White, the Pinotage, and the world-renowned Grand Constance dessert wine made from Muscat de Frontignan -- a continuation of the legendary 'Constantia Wyn'. A VSOP Cape Brandy, matured for five years in wood, and a Methode Cap Classique Brut Rose round out an impressive portfolio that has harvested awards at the National Wine Challenge, Veritas Awards, Michelangelo Awards, and the Platter's Wine Guide.

The estate offers a Visitors Route with guided or self-guided cellar tours through the Production Cellar, Cloete Cellar, and Manor House Museum. Wine tasting features five wines of your choice with a complimentary souvenir glass, and a chocolate and wine pairing matches five selected wines with handcrafted chocolates. Two restaurants operate on the grounds: Jonkershuis Restaurant and Simon's Restaurant, both offering picnic baskets that must be reserved 24 hours in advance. The Wine and Gift Shop features homeware, fashion, and edible treats by leading South African designers.

As a WWF Conservation Champion, Groot Constantia leads in water and energy efficiency, erosion control on steep slopes, and biological pest management. It receives nearly double the rainfall of other wine-producing areas in the country, and stormwater management is critical to preserving these ancient soils for future generations. This is stewardship in its truest form: a national treasure not preserved behind glass, but lived every day.