2020 marks the 300th anniversary of De Grendel as a Cape landmark. Renowned for its award-winning wines and fine-dining restaurant, the estate on the Tygerberg hills outside Cape Town was granted in 1720 and today is a leader in sustainable farming and conservation, home to vineyards and a prized Holstein cattle stud, a dairy, sheep, horses, orchards, fields of grain as well as a conservancy of indigenous renosterveld and game.

In celebrating the tricentennial, all of De Grendel’s wines from the 2020 vintage will carry an anniversary seal. Owner Sir De Villiers Graaff said the milestone was a time for reflection. “Each generation has made its own mark and brought something new to the farm as we strive to conserve the legacy and the environment while also looking to the future. Our vision and our responsibility is to continue building De Grendel as a sustainable and successful enterprise at the centre of a community.”

Sir De Villiers Graaff

The name De Grendel means ‘latch’ or ‘lock’ in old Dutch, signifying its position as the gateway for farmers and traders from Cape Town travelling over the Tygerberg hills to the inland settlements of Durbanville and Stellenbosch. Once a remote outpost, it has become a rural retreat in the midst of urban sprawl, stretching out over some 300ha at 350m above sea level and commanding sweeping views across Table Bay to Table Mountain.

One of Cape Town’s oldest farms, the land was originally owned by businessman Claas Meyboom and in 1891 was bought by David De Villiers Graaff,  who became a leading politician, entrepreneur and farmer, knighted by King George V in 1911 as the 1st Baronet of Cape Town in recognition of his contribution to the Union of South Africa. Setting in motion the family’s long involvement in public service, Sir David was the mayor from 1890 to 1892 and played a key role in bringing electricity to the city as well as the building of the Foreshore, and he was the main investor in the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway. A member of the old Cape Parliament and the Parliament of South Africa after union as well as a Cabinet minister in both, he also served as the country’s commissioner to London and was a delegate to the Treaty of Versailles at the end of World War I.

In 1898 he built the Herbert Baker-styled De Grendel manor house, a Victorian home with distinctive Cape Dutch gables. His legacy is honoured by De Grendel in the super-premium red wine Sir David Graaff First Baronet of Cape Town, made from mature vines that produce wine of exceptional quality, intended to age for over 20 years and presented in distinctive packaging that speaks to the family history.

Sir David’s eldest son, De Villiers, was awarded an MBE for his military service in World War II and went on to lead the United Party as the official opposition in Parliament for 21 years. Sir De Villiers Graaff was succeeded by his son David De Villiers Graaff as 3rd Baronet, who in turn was succeeded by the 4th Baronet Sir De Villiers Graaff, the current proprietor of De Grendel.

Grapes were grown at De Grendel until the phylloxera plague of the 1890s that decimated many vineyards in the Cape, and it was in 2000 that viniculture and winemaking were reintroduced. The first 1800 cases of De Grendel sauvignon blanc, merlot and shiraz were made in 2004 by Charles Hopkins at the Graham Beck cellar. In 2005 Hopkins moved to De Grendel to start making wine on the farm in the cellar built to his design, and 2006 was the first vintage of the flagship red blend Rubaiyat – named after the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, an 11th century Persian poem.

The ‘grande dame’ Winifred, a white blend launched at the cellar’s opening, was named after Sir David’s wife… Launched on the winery’s 10th anniversary, Amandelboord Pinotage honours the 2nd Baronet, Sir De Villiers Graaff, together with his grandson and namesake, the 4th Baronet, the two of whom enjoyed horse-riding together through the farm’s almond orchard… And the Koetshuis Sauvignon Blanc is so named because of the vineyard planted next to the original stables and coach house built by the 1st Baronet.

Grapes for De Grendel wines are sourced mainly from the estate but Hopkins also seeks out unique areas for the particular characteristics they bring to certain cultivars. In 2012 De Grendel released the first of its Op Die Berg wines, a Pinot Noir grown on a family farm in the Witzenberg mountains of Ceres. Vineyards on the Ceres plateau also produce Op Die Berg Chardonnay, and Hopkins is looking forward to releasing a single-vineyard Shiraz from the site in the next few years. In addition, he has long been intrigued by the cool maritime climate of the Elim area near Africa’s southernmost tip at Cape Agulhas and the first vintage of De Grendel Elim Shiraz was released in 2016.

Sir David Graaff died in 2015, having set De Grendel firmly on course as one of South Africa’s leading wine producers while continuing its agricultural prowess in other areas of its agribusiness. His heir Sir De Villiers Graaff started a new path of innovation for the estate and expansion of the wine business, including the opening of the De Grendel Restaurant in 2012 – a fine-dining experience showcasing the farm and family heritage. Chef Ian Bergh has attracted international acclaim with his menu, drawing on farm produce and ingredients to present an inventive, modern take on classic Cape cuisine.

For more about the history of De Grendel, click here.