Beachfront Accommodation Near Groot Constantia

The Big Daddy of wine estates, Groot Constantia in Cape Town is the oldest wine producing farm in South Africa and a popular stop on the hop-on hop-off tour bus route. The farm has been operating since 1685 when the Dutch East India Company Commander Simon van der Stel was granted farmland which he named Contantia. Van der Stel was a renowned vintner and he quickly established vines in this fertile valley. By 1709, there were 70000 vines producing over 5000 bottles of wine annually. The farm was later to be sub-divided and the largest section of land became known as Groot (great) Constantia.

Although Groot Constantia is a national heritage site, it’s a working farm and depending on the time of year, farm workers can be seen pruning the vines or harvesting the grapes. The farm is easily accessible off the M3 highway and a short distance from Cape Town city centre.

The estate offers wine tasting and cellar tours that generally last an hour. Visitors are shown the processes involved in creating wines followed by an opportunity to sample the estate’s decorated wines. Over the years, the wines of Groot Constantia have collected an impressive array of awards, both nationally and internationally.

The orientation centre, historic manor house and the barn with its beautifully adorned pediment are all managed and maintained by the South African Museums. The barn has interesting relics of the past on display while the manor house contains period furniture and fine old paintings.

Two award winning restaurants are on the farm; Simon’s Restaurant has options to either enjoy a picnic on the lawns or a well-priced starter and main meal from the deli, while the Jonkershuis Restaurant offers hearty breakfasts and light meals beefed up with a local twist.

Groot Constantia runs a wine club and members receive discounts on wines when ordering online and are the first to be informed of new varieties. Tastings are free for wine club members.