Simonsig Family Vineyards

Simonsig vineyards lies Northwest of Stellenbosch and is privately owned by the Malan family. It produces some of the finest red and white wines as well as a champayne made by the Cap Classique Methode. The Stellenbosch region is recognised as the best wine producing area in Africa and lies 45 kilometres east of Cape Town.

The first Malan came to South Africa in 1688, was a French Huguenot. The Cape of Good Hope, then under Dutch rule, he was given land to plant new vineyards. He subsequently settled near Stellenbosch which became famous for its quality wines. It is still known as the champion wine region of South Africa where the average production per hectare is around 11 tons per hectare.

In 1953 Frans Malan started wine farming on De Hoop which subsequently became the nucleus of the Simonsig Wine Estate. He started to replant his vineyards during the nineteen sixties. In 1968 he bottled some of his wines for the first time and sold them under the Simonsig Estate label. The first Rieslings and Chenin Blanc were carefully bottled by hand and personally labelled in his home by his wife Liza. From these humble beginnings originated a new challenge which grew into a dedicated family business with a proud heritage. Two years later, in 1970, he bottled the first red wine on Simonsig which soon became the benchmark for Pinotage in the years to follow.

During the seventies Simonsig spearheaded some innovative wine making by producing the first Rhine Rieslings and Chardonnay in South Africa. At the peak of creativity, Frans Malan produced South Africa's very first Cap Classique in 1971, a Methbde Champenoise called Kaapse Vonkel (Cape Sparkle). Many other varieties were planted in a research program to find the best combination of variety and soil in a Simonsig quest for the best quality. The reward for his inspiration came in 1977 when he won the South African Winemaker of the Year award.

Frans Malan was instrumental in starting the Stellenbosch Wine Route in 1971. Today it is the 3rd largest tourist attraction of the Western Cape visited by thousands of visitors from all over the world. As the founder member, the Wine Route is a true monument of his foresight and innovative style to bring a new dimension to the Cape wine industry. Over the years he has served as a director on many agricultural sectors and wine industry boards. His dedicated efforts made a significant contribution towards the standing of the South African wine industry.

In 1983 Frans Malan's three sons Pieter, Francois and Johan formed a unique partnership to manage the fast growing business, 60% of the production is exported to more than 20 countries.

The Simonsig Estate vineyards stretches out over 211 hectares at the foot of the Simons mountain. It is generally acknowledged as the largest private producer of estate wines in SA.