South Africa’s oldest wine property, Groot Constantia, is popping 340 this July- and you’re invited to the celebration!
In case you are a wine lover and need to be taught concerning the wine historical past of this beloved wine farm, right here’s every little thing you must find out about Groot Constantia’s 340th birthday celebration, going down on 13 July 2025.
Exploring 340 Years of Splendour
Groot Constantia is deeply rooted within the vine and the artwork of winemaking. Benefit from the #GrootConstantia340 celebrations with a Guests Route expertise.
This self-guided tour offers you entry to the Manor Home Museum and the Cloete Cellar, dwelling to the Grand Constance. The route shares insightful historical past of the property.
Complimentary entry to a few audio strolling excursions guides guests by way of the vineyards, the manor home, and fashionable manufacturing cellar. As friends discover, they’ll interact with an academic cellar tour that highlights the intricacies of the vinification course of. Finish with a wine tasting that provides the possibility to pattern 5 wines of your selection, every showcasing the terroir and mastery of the vintners.
Groot Constantia By means of Time
Groot Constantia was based in 1685. In 1712, an intricate division sculpted the panorama, creating Bergvliet and Hoop Op Constantia to face alongside the unique property. Just like the vines that flourish within the granite-rich soils, Groot Constantia endured, and in 1975, it reclaimed its historic expansiveness, merging sections of Hoop op Constantia and Nova Constantia farms, reuniting lands that had as soon as been a part of Simon van de Stel’s 1685 grant.
In 1713, the property’s poetic enchantment captured the center of former sea captain and VOC vice-admiral, Harmens de Marre. He printed a poem praising the property that impressed the famend candy wine of Constantia, Grand Constance, marking the start of a centuries-long narrative that harks again to the Napoleonic period, when it was a wine favoured by royalty and celebrated for its historic status. From gold medals on the 1878 Exposition Universelle in Paris to accolades on the Melbourne Worldwide Exhibition in 1881, Groot Constantia’s wines obtained world acclaim.
Restoration
For over 300 years, Groot Constantia confronted challenges, together with the disastrous Phylloxera assault within the late nineteenth century. Nonetheless, even within the face of close to destruction, its resilience introduced rejuvenation. The importance of Groot Constantia goes past its land. In 1925, the Manor Home was destroyed by hearth. By 1926, it was restored and formally opened as a museum in 1927. And, in the end, in 1984, the homestead and the Groot Constantia property have been declared a Nationwide Monument.
Cheers To a Legacy
Recognised by the World Wildlife Fund as a Conservation Champion, the property’s partnership with the Wine and Agricultural Moral Commerce Affiliation displays a dedication to the surroundings. In 1993, the Groot Constantia Act paved the way in which for a not-for-profit firm to personal the property, a testomony to the dedication to preserving South African wine tradition.
Increase a glass to 340 years of heritage and take dwelling a bottle steeped in historical past. Go to Groot Constantia to plan your expertise.
