Beaumont Family Wines

Beaumont Family Wines occupies one of the most historically significant properties in the Cape winelands. The farm was originally established in the 1700s by the Dutch East India Company as a supply farm producing fruit, vegetables, dairy, wine, and flour. It houses the region's oldest wine cellar and one of the oldest working watermills in the country. When Jayne and Raoul Beaumont purchased the property in 1974, they inherited not just a farm but a living piece of South African agricultural history that stretches back more than three centuries.

Jayne Beaumont produced the first wine under the Beaumont label in 1994, and the family bottled the country's first single-varietal Mourvedre in 1999 -- a pioneering moment that helped establish Bot River as a serious wine region. Today the estate is run by Sebastian Beaumont and his wife Nici, who took over in 2015 and have modernised both the brand and the business while preserving the farm's heritage character. Sebastian joined the farm in 1999, took over winemaking from Niels Verburg in 2003, and has since left an indelible mark on the estate.

Sebastian's winemaking is deceptively simple: natural fermentation in concrete fermenters, mostly older oak, and a refusal to mask what the old vines offer. His passion centres on Chenin Blanc, Pinotage, Syrah, and Mourvedre -- varieties that thrive in Bot River's clay-shale soils and maritime-influenced climate. The Jackals River Pinotage comes from a remarkable vineyard planted in 1974 on an east-facing slope of clay-shale. The Hope Marguerite Chenin Blanc honours the family's heritage with fruit from bush vines now over forty years old. The Vitruvian, the estate's flagship red blend, represents the pinnacle of each vintage. The Far Side Mourvedre continues the family's pioneering work with this grape.

Sebastian is a member of the Cape Winemakers Guild, recognition of his standing among South Africa's finest winemakers. The estate also operates a deli and farm shop, and three restored heritage cottages offer self-catering accommodation on the farm. The tasting room sits in the old cellar where visitors can taste the full range for R160 per person. Wines are also available by the case through the estate's online shop.

Beaumont is Bot River at its most authentic: a family farm where three centuries of agricultural history meet modern winemaking ambition, where heritage bush vines produce wines of purity and character, and where the pace of life still moves to the rhythm of the seasons.