Description

Essentials about Groot Constantia in brief

South Africa is a country of wine growing and has been internationally known for years for its excellent red and white wines. What could be more natural than to visit the oldest winery in the country during a visit to Cape Town, which is located in a wonderfully idyllic setting in the middle of the metropolis: Groot Constantia. Groot Constantia is not only one of the most internationally renowned wineries, but also one of the most beautiful. Today, you can picnic on the wonderful grounds, visit two museums, dine at an excellent restaurant, take a tour of the winery, and, of course, participate in a wine tasting.

The history of Groot Constantia

Historically, this beautiful vineyard dates back to Simon van der Stel, who came ashore as the new Dutch Cape Governor in 1679. At any given time, Cape Town was little more than a supply station for the ships and crews of the United East India Company (VOC) en route to Southeast Asia. For his services to the VOC, Van der Stel was given a large plot of land in the Constantia Valley on the backside of Table Mountain in 1683 and began growing various crops on his land, including wine.

It turns out that due to the constant winds and relatively cold winter, certain grape varieties thrived best in the climatic conditions of the Constantia Valley. In order to be able to produce barrels and corks for wine on site, an oak avenue was built in 1685. However, it turned out that the European oaks grew too fast due to the prevailing climate and were therefore unsuitable for the intended use. Nice for today’s visitors to the winery, who can walk along the beautiful oak avenue, which has been preserved to this day.

After the death of the governor, the land was divided into several vineyards, with Groot Constantia as the core of the winery. The so-called Constantia wine enjoyed great popularity among European nobility in the 18th and 19th centuries, and the list of celebrities who had the good drop delivered from the southern tip of Africa is long. Napoleon reportedly ordered 30 bottles a month, and the Prussian King Frederick the Great and the British royal family were also among Constantia’s regular customers.

The grounds of Groot Constantia

Today, Groot Constantia is not only an internationally still renowned winery, but also an architectural landmark as an example of the architectural style of the Cape Dutch. The manor house, built in 1684, burned down completely in 1925, but was faithfully rebuilt. It now houses a museum with old furniture, paintings, glassware and porcelain from the time of Simon van der Stel.

Visitors can, of course, spend their time outside walking through the picturesque landscape and picnicking in the meadows of Groot Constantia. Those who don’t want to bring their own food can enjoy Cape Malay cuisine at the estate’s excellent restaurant. Behind the manor house is the Cloete Wine Cellar, which houses a wine museum that gives visitors an interesting insight into the history of wine growing in the Cape. And last, but not least, Groot Constantia naturally offers tours of the winery and wine tastings.

Website

grootconstantia.co.za

Opening hours

Opening hours wine tastings:

Admission fees

None.

Address

Getting there

By public transport:

No connections.

By car:

There is a parking lot on site.