Anthonij Rupert Wine Farm

On the historic L'Ormarins estate in Franschhoek, where French Huguenot settler Jean Roi planted the valley's earliest vines more than three centuries ago, Anthonij Rupert Wyne has grown into one of South Africa's most ambitious multi-brand wine houses. The estate takes its name from a French village in Provence -- Lourmarin -- anglicised over generations into L'Ormarins, and the property retains a sense of old-world gravitas that few Cape farms can match. The Manor House, built in 1811, and the Historic Cellar, dating to 1799, are both declared national monuments, restored by Dr Anton Rupert after he acquired the farm in 1969.

It was Dr Anton's son, Anthonij, who transformed L'Ormarins from a single estate into a winemaking platform of real scale. Anthonij Rupert had a particular passion for Italian grape varieties and envisioned a range that would bring Sangiovese, Pinot Grigio, and other Mediterranean cultivars to South African soil. That vision became Terra del Capo, an Italian-varietal label that remains one of the most distinctive offerings in the Cape. Anthonij's tragically early death in 2001 led his brother Johann Rupert to continue the project, and in 2004 Johann commissioned a state-of-the-art gravity-fed cellar with a revolving ceiling and underground barrel maturation hall -- named the Anthonij Rupert Cellar in his brother's memory.

Today the portfolio spans five distinct brands. The Anthonij Rupert flagship range represents the pinnacle, with Bordeaux-style blends and single-varietal wines from the finest parcels. Cape of Good Hope is a site-specific collection sourcing fruit from old vines across the Western Cape. Terra del Capo showcases Italian varietals. Jean Roi is a premium Provencal-style rose. L'Ormarins Cap Classique offers traditional-method sparkling wines. And Protea provides accessible, everyday drinking wines. Winemaker Dawie Botha oversees the cellar, working with fruit from Franschhoek, Darling, Groenekloof, and other prime sites.

Visitors can experience the range across two dedicated tasting rooms on the L'Ormarins estate. The Anthonij Rupert Tasting Room focuses on the flagship and Cape of Good Hope wines, while the Terra del Capo Tasting Room -- with its mezzanine lounge overlooking the bottling line -- presents the Italian-varietal and Protea ranges in a relaxed, interactive format. The estate is also home to the Franschhoek Motor Museum, one of the country's finest collections of vintage and classic cars, housed in a converted stable complex on the property. Between the wine, the history, and the cars, L'Ormarins offers one of the most layered visitor experiences in the valley.