Bellevue Wine Estate

The land that became Bellevue Wine Estate has been under cultivation for over three centuries. On 5 October 1701, Cape Governor Willem Adriaan van der Stel granted a parcel of just under 40 hectares to blacksmith Christoffel Groenewald. The farm was given the provocative Dutch name Houd den Mond — 'keep your mouth shut' — and the reasons for that name have been lost to history, leaving behind only the kind of mystery that old Cape farms carry in their soil.

The estate changed hands over the following century and a half before Dirk Cloete Morkel purchased it on 6 December 1861. The Morkel family would hold Bellevue for over 150 years, and it was under their stewardship that the estate made its defining contribution to South African wine history.

In 1951, Pieter Krige Morkel — known as P.K. — was encouraged by the Stellenbosch Agricultural College and Stellenbosch Farmers Winery to plant Pinotage, the uniquely South African grape variety created by crossing Pinot Noir with Cinsault. When P.K. could not find Gamay vines, he embraced the young cultivar instead. By 1953, he had established 2.58 hectares of Pinotage, followed by another 3.23 hectares a year later. These were among the very first commercial Pinotage plantings in South Africa, and the original vines from that 1953 block are still producing fruit today — making them some of the oldest Pinotage vines in existence.

The 1953 block delivered its defining moment in 1959 when P.K. Morkel entered his Pinotage wine in the Cape Wine Show and won the coveted General Smuts Trophy. Two years later, in 1961, Stellenbosch Farmers Winery bottled and sold Bellevue's Pinotage under their Lanzerac label. It was the first bottled Pinotage ever sold in the world — a milestone in South African wine history that began in Bellevue's vineyards.

Today, that 1953 block remains the pride of the estate. The Heritage Pinotage, made exclusively from these seventy-year-old vines, is a wine of profound concentration and historical significance. The estate also produces the Tumara, a premium Pinotage that has earned critical recognition, alongside a broader portfolio that includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz, Cinsault, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Colombard, a Cape Blend, and sparkling wines. With twelve wines in the range, Bellevue demonstrates that its expertise extends well beyond its flagship variety.

The estate sits on the Bottelary Road in Koelenhof, on the western side of Stellenbosch. It is a family-friendly destination — children are welcome, dogs are allowed, and the estate is wheelchair accessible. The restaurant serves South African cuisine, and there are platters and cheese boards for those who prefer a lighter pairing with their tasting. A kids' jungle gym and function venue round out an estate that balances serious winemaking heritage with genuine hospitality.

Bellevue is where Pinotage became a commercial reality. The vines that changed South African wine are still here, still producing, still telling a story that began with a blacksmith's land grant in 1701.