This year, South Africa’s oldest wine-producing farm celebrates an uninterrupted record of producing wine since 1658. To mark its 338th birthday, Groot Constantia will open its Vintage Vault to make a limited amount of their famous and collectable wines for purchase and tastings. Before continuing, you should explore the best wine bars in Stellenbosch.
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Between 13 July and the end of August, the wine farm will roll out a unique ‘Vintage Vault Experience’ on the Estate, in which guests will be treated to an exclusive tasting of these blends in the historical Manor House. This experience has never been available to the public before, Bizcommunity reports.
‘The sharing of these wines is part of our mission at Groot Constantia to preserve and promote the legacy of South Africa’s wine industry. Groot Constantia is a Provincial Heritage Site and a living museum, as well as the birthplace of South Africa’s wine industry and is under the care of the Groot Constantia Trust,’ says Jean Naudé, CEO of Groot Constantia.
‘Our long history and ongoing success can be attributed to a variety of factors, not least of which is our dedication and commitment to sustainability across all fronts. Groot Constantia is a World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Conservation Champion and is focused on ensuring the legacy that we have built endures for another 338 years – and more!’
A fresh selection of wines from the vault, located underneath the Groot Constantia Manor House, will be opened every day, which means that each tasting will be truly unique. ‘All of the wines that we are releasing from the Vintage Vault demonstrate the values, story, heritage and most importantly, quality of the Groot Constantia wines,’ says Naudé.
He adds that the vault is ‘characterized by its alluring cool, dark and mystical atmosphere, where a passageway leads romantically down several steps to reach the soft ambience where the Vintage Vault is situated in an environment ideal for storing wine.
‘Most people are not aware that we have this Vintage Vault, which is like a trip back in time, offering a glimpse into the wines produced at Groot Constantia over the ages. Over the decades, Groot Constantia has stored a portion of every vintage produced for our reference and records.
‘It is a true Aladdin’s cave of the finest vinicultural wonders of the world and prized treasures. Groot Constantia is hailed the world over as a true living legend, overcoming many challenges to maintain a constant multi-award-winning wine production since its founding year in 1685.’
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One of the iconic wines stored in the Vintage Vault – and also the oldest – include a bottle of Groot Constantia’s Grand Constance, which was produced in 1821. It was produced and bottled in the Cloete Cellar. Another notable blend is JP Cloete’s Pontac wine, acclaimed at the International Exhibition in Paris in 1855.
More recently, accolades such as the Groot Constantia Chardonnay 2013 were awarded best in the world at Chardonnay de Mond, and the Sauvignon Blanc 2019 won the International Sauvignon Blac trophy at the International Wine Challenge. Groot Constantia has also been named the Top Wine producer in South Africa by the South-African Wine Index (SAWI), and nine of the Estate’s wines were listed as part of the Top 100 wines in South Africa by the South African National Wine Challenge in 2019.
The limited-release Vintage Vault wines will be available from 13 July until the end of August at the Groot Constantia Estate and online here.
To book a seat for the Vintage Vault Experience, visit Dineplan (bookings are essential).
- Cost: R500 per person
- Contact: 021 794 5128 | [email protected]
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Picture: Groot Constantia / Facebook