QUICK VIEW:
Groot Constantia is a working wine estate, and the oldest in South Africa. The grounds include sprawling vineyards, the Cape Dutch architecture of its Great Manor House, and a charming outdoor restaurant.
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Cape Town's Groot Constantia Wine Estate is considered the ultimate South African wine experience for international tourists.
This didn't happen overnight. Groot Constantia's history and reputation has been earned over centuries.
The reputation of the Groot Constantia vineyards and estate has been earned over centuries
Take a look at this impressive pedigree:
Given such a great resume, the Groot Constantia Wine Estate should be on your Cape Town itinerary. We were excited to add it to ours!
Researching our upcoming Groot Constantia Wine Estate excursion only added to our excitement:
... Cape Dutch History ... Cape Town Big Six Destination ... Famous Authors Celebrating Constantia ... Napoleon's Favorite Wine ... Outstanding Cape Dutch Brunch Venue
Join us as we share our experience exploring this special South African treasure.
Groot Constantia, here we come!
Getting to the Groot Constantia Area
A visit to the Groot Constantia Wine Estate was on our South Africa bucket list. We didn't hesitate when our brother, William, and his fiancé, Kate, offered to host us for a long weekend at her home in Kenilworth.
Kenilworth is one of the closest Cape Town suburbs to Groot Constantia.
The wine estate lies on the southeastern side of Table Mountain, about a 15-minute drive (4 miles/7 km) from the center of Cape Town.
Our home base was in Gordon's Bay, so we had a bit of extra driving along the N2 (31 miles/50 km further).
Once in Cape Town, we headed south on the M3 highway. As we drove, Table Mountain lay before us. That view never gets old!
The view of Table Mountain is special from every vantage point
Skirting the Table Mountain National Park, we drove through several very affluent suburbs. Rondebosch, Claremont, Kenilworth, Wynberg, and Constantia, all lie within a few kilometers of the Groot Constantia Wine Estate.
We arrived in Kenilworth early on Friday evening. Our hosts didn't waste any time getting a head-start on their weekend itinerary. We almost immediately headed off for a lovely dinner at one of their favorite local artisan breweries. The food, and the company, was fabulous. We were off to a great start!
The next morning, we started with some coffee on their peaceful back garden patio, followed by a delicious country breakfast. Time to take the dogs for a walk, and do a little exploring of the local neighborhood.
The relaxing back patio at Kate's house in Kenilworth
Early Cape Dutch History
The area southeast of Table Mountain was highly coveted by the early Dutch officials and elite.
The original Groot Constantia farm lies just to the south of Kenilworth. The original land grant that created Groot Constantia was given to Simon van der Stel in 1685. At that time, van der Stel was the sitting Governor of the Cape of Good Hope.
Simon van der Stel had a lot of viticulture experience before arriving in Southern Africa. Back in The Netherlands, van der Stel's vineyards were known for producing excellent wines and brandies.
Apparently, van der Stel was very selective in choosing the location for his future vineyards in the Cape.
Soon after arriving, he started sending scouts out to bring back soil samples. Soil from the southern slopes of Table Mountain had all the attributes for a successful venture.
van der Stel was selective in choosing the location for his vineyards, & the southern slopes of Table Mountain fit the criteria
Van der Stel was granted 763 hectares of land in 1685. One hectare equals about 100 acres. That's a lot of land!
According to the Groot Contantia Estate Trust, Simon van der Stel cultivated more than 70,000 vines on the farm by 1709, and was producing more than 5,000 liters of wine per year!
The original farm was called Constantia. Two years after van der Stel's death in 1714, the property was sold at auction and sub-divided into three major sub-divisions:
Today, Groot Constantia is South Africa's oldest wine estate--and still functions as a working wine estate.
The expansive vineyards at Groot Constantia sprawl across the grounds of the remaining estate
Moving a few kilometers north, we see a very similar Cape Dutch history around Kenilworth.
Kenilworth began as a sizable estate that also belonged to the van der Stel family. Simon van der Stel was the first Governor of the Dutch Cape Colony. The estate was known as Stellenberg.
Stellenberg was originally granted to a friend of Governor van der Stel in 1697, and, then, almost immediately, conveyed to one of van der Stel's sons. The conveyance was quite controversial because The Dutch East India Company (DEIC) supposedly frowned on grants to family members.
The Stellenberg homestead, and its beautifully sculpted gardens, are open to the public today.
Modern-day Kenilworth really took off after the Kenilworth Racecourse was built in 1882. This racecourse has the distinction of being the oldest in South Africa. Today, Kenilworth is a well-established part of the Cape Town landscape.
The Kenilworth Racecourse in Cape Town's centrally located suburb of Kenilworth
Before heading out to Groot Constantia the next morning, we had a a quick stop at the local Ferndale Nursery to score a couple of additions for Kate's backyard patio garden.
What a treat! The nursery was in full bloom!
There was a lot to choose from as we browsed threw the extensive Ferndale grounds. Two winners made it into the back of the car ... a fern for the shade garden, and a bougainvillea destined to climb a bare wall in Kate's back yard.
Sunday morning started with a visit to Ferndale Nursery for a couple of choice finds for Kate's back garden
What a charming start to our Sunday morning. It was time for Groot Constantia!
Our Groot Constantia Experience
Driving south along the M3, we were treated to panoramic coastal views with the stunning backdrop of Table Mountain National Park. Signs for several smaller wine estates started popping up. Groot Constantia was close!
The Groot Contantia Wine Estate is a national monument, and now belongs to the Groot Constantia Trust.
Today, Groot Constantia is a working farm, and ownership of the estate rests with its Trust
As we entered the grounds, we were impressed by how well the premises have been preserved and restored over the years. Extensive vineyards still extend from the main buildings in every direction.
It's such a beautiful setting! We'd be regular Sunday Brunch patrons if we lived within driving distance.
The walk up to the Great Manor was beautifully lined by grand old oak trees. Some of the original tree stumps from the 1600s are still preserved on the property.
A shaded path leading into the main estate buildings is lined with grand old oaks
The original Great Manor house had to be completely rebuilt in 1925 after a devastating fire destroyed the older structures. There's no mistaking the picture-perfect Cape Dutch architecture--beautiful white gabled buildings with neatly thatched roofing.
The Great Manor has classic Cape Dutch architecture, with its white gables and thatched roofing
The Cloete family acquired the farm in 1778, and held the estate for five generations.
On our tour of the Great Manor, we were able to see a wide array of original Cape Dutch artifacts and household belongings--most likely belonging to the Cloete family.
Several of the rooms were decorated with elaborate period furnishings. One could picture life in the Great Manor.
One of the Cloete family bedrooms in the Great Manor, decorated with period furniture
One of the Great Manor exhibits described how European royalty and nobility regularly bought Constantia wines. The most notable consumers were Napoleon, the King of Prussia, and Louis Phillipe of France.
Napoleon Bonaparte had the most interesting Constantia story!
Napoleon's final exile was on Saint Helena Island, an isolated island about 1,200 miles/2,000 km off the African coast. His favorite wine during exile was allegedly Grand Constance. This was one of Constantia's most celebrated wine labels produced for French and European markets.
Grand Constance wines were also highly sought after at European wine auction houses, and very popular with the aristocratic classes.
Grand Constance wine was sought after by Napoleon as well as the aristocrats of Europe in the early 1800s
Leaving the Great Manor, we walked next door to the famous Cloete Cellar. These were the very same cellars that produced the original Grand Constance wines. One could feel the history here!
A walk through the exhibit located in the Cellar includes:
The exhibit in the Cloete Cellar provides educational information and displays of historic equipment
The grounds and buildings of Groot Constantia are steeped in South African history. Even though the estate was packed with tourists, everyone seemed to have a decided reverence and respect for this special place.
With our estate tour completed, we'd worked up quite an appetite!
Groot Constantia has one of the most charming outdoor restaurants in the Cape. With Cape Dutch architecture on one side, and grand old oak trees on the other, they have the perfect setting for a heavenly brunch!
The outdoor restaurant set back on the oak shaded lawns was a lovely setting for brunch
We were treated to a hearty meal, with a lovely view of the vineyards and a rugged mountain backdrop.
Groot Constantia is a must for setting the tone for any tour of South African wine estates. Luckily, we had plenty of time to explore the area wine farms over the next seven weeks. We couldn't wait!
With our Kenilworth adventure coming to an end, we were so grateful to William and Kate for being our tour guides to this previously unexplored area.
Here's hoping you enjoyed this tour of Groot Constantia, and the area around Kenilworth.
'Safe travels ... see you all on the road!
We enjoyed spending time with brother William, and getting to know his fiancé, Kate
