A beautiful picture of the South African landscape. Settlers began planting vineyards here in the seventeenth century. They stretch from the rugged mountains and slopes of the coastal region to the open plains of the Klein Karoo. The further inland, the less rainfall, and growing grapes is already a challenge in the hot, dry climate. There are now 86,544 hectares of vines in an area some 800 kilometres long.
Text: Marjolein Schuman | Image: View from Neethlingshof vineyards over Jamestown and surrounding mountains / creator: Charmaine Greiger / WOSA
Wine Estate Neethlingshof is located in the heart of the Cape Winelands. Flanked by the Bottelary Hills and Papegaaiberg near Stellenbosch and overlooking False Bay. As the winemakers themselves say: an incredibly privileged location with different soils, slopes, altitudes and climates to grow diverse grapes. Blessed with as many as eight distinguishable terroirs. What do you want, with more than a hundred hectares of land.
The historic winery itself was built in the typical white Cape Dutch style, look online for close-up images. German settler Willem Barend Lubbe started the estate in 1692, and Neethlingshof changed owners and names a number of times. In 1985, German banker Hans Joachim Schreiber bought it. In late 2021, French wine group Les Grands Chais de France (LGCF) acquired Neethlingshof to plant another 27 hectares and double production from 600,000 bottles to 1.2 million.
Large-scale wine production from the so-called new wine world overseas, but quality. And the wines are made vegan, so also without animal clarifiers. You can buy them in the Netherlands to taste South Africa, such as Neethlingshof Estate Pinotage 2022 / VANOUDSDEZWAAN.NL / €13.95
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