Groot Constantia celebrates wine history and heritage in a bottle

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Groot Constantia celebrates wine history and heritage in a bottle. The world-renowned wine estate Groot Constantia is a wine farm in Constantia in the South African city of Cape Town. Wine has been produced on-site since 1684. These wines, Syrah and Merlot among others, are among the best in the world. The homestead, built in Cape Dutch style, is a national monument and tourist attraction.

The iconic image of the Groot Constantia homestead is engraved in the minds of generations of South Africans and is synonymous with quality, innovation and international recognition.

Great wines were produced by the innovative winemakers of Groot Constantia but, surely, the most famous was the “Grand Constance” favoured by Napoleon Bonaparte and supplied to the emperor, even in exile. Napoleon was allowed to drink wine and requested wines made at Groot Constantia whilst exiled on the island of Saint Helena from 1815 until his death in May 1821, and rumour has it that is was his favourite wine.

History, Fame and Fortune

During the Eighteenth century the sweet wines of Constantia received international acclaim for their superior quality and became known throughout the world as “Constantia Wyn (wine)”. “Constantia wyn” began to fetch extremely high prices at well-attended auctions in many European cities and soon came to rival the sweet wines of Europe. “From these Elysian fields used to come one of the very greatest wines in the world — the legendary Constantia,” wrote Hugh Johnson, “Constantia was bought by European courts in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth centuries in preference to Yquem, Tokay & Madeira.”

Groot Constantia’s rich history shows how one man’s love of wine established South Africa’s first wine farm more than 330 years ago and how those 891 morgen of land formed the origins of the commercial South African wine industry, with Emperors and Kings such as Frederick the Great of Prussia and Louis Phillipe (King of the French) buying ‘Constantia Wyn’ at auctions across Europe. South Africa’s oldest wine became so renowned it appears in Jane Austen’s novel ‘Sense and Sensibility’ as a cure for a broken heart and is drunk to lift a character’s spirit in ‘The Mystery of Edwin Drood’ by Charles Dickens.

The Present

Today, Groot Constantia is managed by a heritage trust and the Estate boasts two restaurants, a wine tasting centre and the Cape Dutch Manor House. We recently visited the Estate and were pleasantly surprised by the number of people drifting in and out of the different venues on the farm.

Tasting the Fruit of the Vine

The vineyards of Groot Constantia survived droughts, fires, floods, and disease. New plantings were carefully planned by expert viticulturists and have adapted to new trends and tastes.

Lady of Abundance Tasting Room

On the front gable of the Groot Constantia Manor House, rebuilt after a fire in the 1920s, is a statue, the Lady of Abundance. How appropriate that the Estate should name its new release, Groot Constantia Lady of Abundance. This sublime wine has a foundation of Pinotage, 34% of South Africa’s own grape forms part of the blend with the balance made up of 33% Shiraz, 32% Merlot and 1% Grenache Noir in 2017

I had the pleasure of tasting the 2018 Lady of Abundance and, in my book, it must be one of the best examples of a “Cape Blend”

The second vintage of Lady of Abundance shows layers of complexity. Ripe black fruit dominates the nose, followed by an intense spicy character. The emphasis is on drinkability. This new blend shows beautiful complexity. Ripe plum and red cherry flavours combine with a hint of fennel and careful use of oak. The variety of fruit follows on the palate and is framed by a fine tannin structure.

36% Shiraz, 35% Merlot, 26% Pinotage, 3% Tannat

Where Old meets New

The Groot Constantia Wine Estate is a “must-see” when visiting South Africa and the Western Cape. The estate serves as a showcase for the glorious past of the South African wine industry as well as for the innovative viticulture of the 21st century. Groot Constantia wines are competitive in a fiercely competitive wine market. Today, like 350 years ago, Groot Constantia Wine Estate is leading the South African presence in the international wine arena.

When visiting South Africa, make sure to experience the Groot Constantia wine history and heritage in a bottle.