Beau Constantia

A mere 20 minutes from Cape Town City’s center lies Beau Constantia, a well curated escarp of rolling vineyards, floating concrete and rocky mountainside. In a shy kloof, steep North East facing slopes summit the Vlakkenberg, from where both the Indian and the Atlantic oceans become visible. From the outset, the unique site called for a masterful eye and design approach that respects its terroir – a wine term that refers to a place’s character. When taking in the landscape of this future-centric farm, it is hard to believe that it used to be a goat farm. That chapter came to a close during the all-consuming fires of 2000 which left nothing but a thick stand of alien vegetation. In the year 2002 the Du Preez family purchased the steep slice of foreign forest with the intention to restore the site to its original pristine state. That meant costly alien-clearing, the establishment of a firebreak around the border of the farm and extensive soil studies which naturally led to the establishment of vineyards. The first vines were planted in 2003 with the help of dedicated farm manager, Japie Bronn.