Fort Simon Wine Estate

Tucked into the steep slopes of the Bottelary Hills outside Stellenbosch is a wine estate unlike any other in the area. The charm and fascination of Fort Simon originate in the unusual stone architecture of the tasting room and cellar, which were inspired by Namibian stone houses and medieval European castles. This unique venue opened its cellar to the public for the first time 1998.

The maker of Fort Simon wines is Marinus Bredell who has been hand-crafting wines in Cape cellars with great dedication for the past 35 years. Quality is never compromised at Fort Simon Estate and Fort Simon wines are made as naturally as possible in the New World style.

The wide variety of slopes and soil types produces a variety of grape characters. The estate has 61 hectares under vineyards, spread over a variety of slopes which are cooled by the prevailing sea breezes. These conditions, combined with various soil types have made it possible to produce an unusual cross-section of wines.

Winemaker Marinus Bredell, employs a natural approach to produce New World style Fort Simon wines, and the estate offers a promising range of both reds and whites. The cellar is housed in the Fort Simon castle, from which the range takes its name. Visitors are invited to experience the medieval charm of Fort Anna, a romantic stone building complete with moat, suspension bridge and fire place, and the venue for Fort Simon wine tasting and sales.

In 1961 Dr Simon Uys and his wife Anna, bought the then called Houmoed, in the Bottelary Hills near Stellenbosch. When the two initiated the development, the farm was mostly wild brush with a few rows of old vines.

It wasn't until the 1970's that the serious planting of grape vines began under the guidance of, then called, Distillers Corporation. New clone material was selected to suit the various slopes and microclimate.Today Renier, a second generation Uys, and Simon's son, is the viticulturist, and the winemaking is left in the capable hands of Marinus Bredell.

A perfect marriage between old and new, Renier set the cellar in another larger fort, and with his brother Petrus, named it Fort Simon. The cellar enhances the gothic theme on the outside, but inside the state of the art cellar has an open floor plan with everything on one level for access and better monitoring. Two thirds of the maturation cellar is filled with 300 litre French oak barrels. A new underground maturation cellar is currently underway.