South African Rose Wine

A New Wave of winemakers producing South African Rose Wines going from strength to strength. Groot Constantia Groot Constantia is South Africa's oldest estate and one of South Africa's most visited tourist attractions. In 1685, Cape Governor Simon van der Stel built a farm in the foothills of Table Mountain, which he named Constantia. Groot Constantia received world acclaim from Napoleon, Bismarck and King Louis Philippe of France who was the biggest single buyer of Groot Constantia wines. Today, the estate is run by the Groot Constantia Trust and covers 165 hectares, of which 87 hectares are planted at an altitude of 60 to 280 metres above sea level. The vineyards are cultivated sustainably, and they hold the Integrated Production of Wine (IPW) certification. The climate is generally cool resulting in complex and balanced wines. Leeuwenkuil Family Vineyards Leeuwenkuil Family Vineyards is the most southerly estate in Swartland and its history dates to 1693, when the farming focussed on livestock, grain and vineyards, making it a valuable stop-over for travelling parties to and from Cape Town. The banks of the Klapmuts River, a small stream running through the farm, used to shelter Cape Mountain Lions, from which the estate’s name Leeuwenkuil (Lion's Den) derived. In 1850, the Dreyer family bought the farm, and it is run by seventh generation Willie Snr and his wife Emma. Willie has significantly invested in planting vineyards and today Leeuwenkuil is the largest vineyard in the Cape Coastal area. With a lack of sustainable irrigation water, most of the vineyards are dry-farmed and have a very low carbon footprint. Of the 1,200 hectares under vine, 100 hectares are organic, while the rest is sustainably cultivated. Leeuwenkuil built a state-of-the-art winery which vinified their first grapes in 2020, producing Swartland wines of distinction and character.