The History of Winemaking in Cape Town, South Africa

South Africa’s rich heritage of winemaking came from a simple quandary: How do we avoid plaguing our sailors with scurvy on long seafaring trips? Scurvy, a disease caused by lack of Vitamin C, could fell an entire ship in the 1600s. The importing Dutch East India Company decided to plant grape vineyards from German plantings near the sea (to send the fruit on these long trips) and these plots of land slowly transformed into wineries.

One of the first winemaking estates in the country, Constantia, was founded by Simon van der Stel just a few miles from Cape Town. In the late 17^th century, French Huguenots escaping religious persecution brought their vast experience with planting and harvesting vineyards to the “new world” and helped further South Africa’s wine culture.

For nearly 200 years, South Africa’s production in the Wijnberg region was robust with varieties like Muscat and Chenin Blanc, but it was colonization by the British that allowed the wine to be exported abroad in larger quantities.

Cinsault was eventually planted in the wine region before hardier varieties like Chardonnay and Shiraz. South Africa’s wine scene was seemingly closed off to the world during Apartheid, but wines from the country have once again been garnering attention abroad as the country reinvests in the culturally rich industry.