Klein Constantia

On a narrow headland at the southern cape on the backside of Table Mountain is the Klein Constantia wine estate. 

Klein Constantia - Pearl at the Cape

The rather cool Constantia area is the cradle of South African viticulture and is considered historically the most important wine region, especially because of its sweet wine. In the 1980s, the Jooste family acquired the historic winery, lovingly restored it and was able to revive its former reputation.

A small list of fans of the wine from Klein Constantia

Klein Constantia Winery boasts an illustrious history, with numerous notable individuals and institutions immortalizing the glory of Constantia wine, including:

• the Dutch East India Company 
• Frederick II the Great of Prussia
• Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette
• George Washington and Tomas Jefferson
• Frederick Gottlieb Klopstock
• Jane Austen
• Napoleon Bonaparte
• Alexandre Dumas and Charles Baudelaire
• Charles Dickens

Whether all these great names had a Vin de Constance in their glass is questionable, since it was only available in small quantities and was thus reserved for kings and princes. Nevertheless, the wine from Constantia was a symbol of the highest pleasure, which writers liked to use for literary purposes.

The present

With great respect and enthusiasm, today's winemaker Matthew Day takes on the task of continuing the tradition of the winery first mentioned in 1817. Today, Klein Constantia is not only famous for its beauty, but is also considered one of the emerging crus of South Africa. Something very special is, for example, the famous dessert wine "Vin de Constance", which has been around since 1791 and is probably one of the most outstanding wines in the world. After long and intensive research, the Jooste family has brought this legend back to life after this wine had been forgotten for several decades. Meanwhile, the Vin de Constance is showered with praise from all sides.

Wines from Klein Constantia 

Klein Constantia also offers excellent conditions for white grape varieties à la Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay Riesling and, of course, Muscat de Frontignan on the granite soils blown by ocean winds at the higher elevations of Constantiaberg. Further below, where the ancient trees unfurl their canopy and the sun shines longer, vines of red varieties such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec thrive. The South African winery Klein Constantia strives for wines with varietal character that also reflect the land in all its splendor. To achieve this, the team is committed to protecting and strengthening the terroir with nature-friendly and biodynamic measures, so that the strongly concentrated and aromatic grapes harmonize aroma in balanced and mineral wines.