Constantia
This world renowned wine growing region with her premium, award winning cool climate Sauvignon Blancs and Bordeaux Blends is just a short 20 minutes from the V&A Waterfront and 30 minutes from Cape Town International Airport. Nestled beneath Table Mountain National Park and commanding unsurpassed vistas of False Bay and the Constantiaberg & Table Mountain Ranges, lies this, the oldest wine-making region in the southern hemisphere.
The Constantia estate was established in 1685 by the second Governor of the Cape of Good Hope, Simon van der Stel the region was the very first established wine growing region in the whole of southern Africa. In the 18th and 19th Centuries, the area was famed for its legendary dessert wine Vin de Constance. These wines were of such a superior quality that they were demanded by European royals and aristocrats, Napoleon Bonaparte was one of these Constantia wine-lovers of old and is mentioned in the literature of the day most notably by Jane Austen and Charles Dickens. Modern winemakers have created their own version of the Vin de Constance style which is also venerated the world over.
The vineyards reach from low lying slopes all the way up the south-eastern sides of the Constantiaberg mountain. The highest vineyards are 400m above sea level and are among some of the steepest in South Africa. The soils are from ancient deposits of decomposed granite, well drained and fertile with a high clay content. Water absorbed by the clay during wet winters helps to keep the vines hydrated over the dry summers.
Both the shade of the mountain and the almost perpetual cool sea breezes contribute to lower average temperatures on the slopes in this area, allowing the grapes that are planted here to retain their fresh acidity. Wind is important for vine health aswell. The constant assault by the south-easterly winds stresses the vines, so they dig their roots deeper into the ground for anchorage and this results in access to more nutrients. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot thrive further down the slopes in the longer sunlight hours while Sauvignon Blanc loves the colder slopes, higher up.
