Klein Constantia Estate

The verdant Constantia valley, home to Klein Constantia Estate, is the oldest, most enduring vineyard region in the Cape, first producing wine in 1689. The historic vineyards formed part of the original farm Constantia, whose legendary wines were sought after by the18th and 19th century European aristocracy. This estate has played a major part in the re-establishment of Constantia Valley as one of the finest wine-growing areas of the Cape.

Situated only 20 kilometres from Cape Town's city centre, the estate is set amid trees and lush greenery on the slopes of the Constantia mountain on the narrow Cape Peninsula which projects southwards into the southern Atlantic ocean, where exposure to maritime and mountain influences are ideal for quality wine production, with superb views across the Constantia valley and over False Bay, it has frequently been described as one of the world's most beautiful vineyard locations.

Rainfall is high, most of which falls in the winter months from May to August. Soils are rich and deep, and are made up mostly of decomposed granite. With the vineyards situated on the slopes of the Constantiaberg, drainage is excellent. The recent completion of a new dam on the Marlbrook has ensured sufficient irrigation capacity for any vineyard on the estate, should drought conditions lead to vine stress. The estate has two distinct meso-climates, with the low, warm north-facing slopes ideal for red varieties, and the higher, cool south-facing slopes favouring white varieties. Klein Constantia specialises in Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Marlbrook and Vin de Constance, the re-creation of the legendary Constantia wine.

Klein Constantia is owned by the Jooste family, who have been involved in the South African wine industry for four generations. Duggie Jooste acquired the run-down estate in 1980 and immediately initiated a restoration and vineyard replanting programme. His son Lowell, who spent a year at University of California Davis studying oenology and viticulture, and working a harvest at the Robert Mondavi winery in the Napa Valley, now handles the day-to-day running of the farm, but neither has an official title, believing as they do that "labels belong on bottles"!