Stellenbosch Vineyards Wine Farm

The story of Stellenbosch Vineyards begins with the land itself. The historic Welmoed farm was first granted to Governor Simon van der Stel in 1690 — making it one of the oldest agricultural properties in the Cape. For centuries, the land passed through various hands, eventually becoming the home of the Welmoed Cooperative Cellar, established by eight local farmers who pooled their resources to produce wine collectively.

The modern chapter opened in 2004, when the cooperative merged with Vinfruco — the commercial wine arm of Capespan, one of South Africa's dominant fresh fruit exporters — to form The Company of Wine People. The entity later reestablished itself under the Stellenbosch Vineyards name with a renewed corporate identity and a clear mandate: produce benchmark Stellenbosch wines at scale without sacrificing quality or provenance. French wine group AdVini subsequently acquired a majority share, bringing international expertise and distribution muscle to the operation.

Senior winemaker Bernard Claassen, who joined in 2005, has been the steady hand guiding the cellar through this evolution. Working from the Welmoed hub on the R310 Baden Powell Drive in Lynedoch, Claassen oversees a portfolio structured across several distinct brands. The Stellenbosch Vineyards flagship label carries the estate's most ambitious wines. The Welmoed range — an award-winning, historic brand — offers six handcrafted single varietals including Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage, Shiraz, Merlot, and Pinot Grigio, all from predominantly Stellenbosch fruit. Arniston Bay and Maison Du Cap serve broader markets with approachable everyday wines.

The estate specialises across a wide spectrum. Wine of South Africa lists Stellenbosch Vineyards as a Chenin Blanc, Pinotage, Sauvignon Blanc, and Shiraz specialist, with premium and fine wine credentials. The property's vineyards stretch across the Stellenbosch appellation, drawing on mountain and valley sites that provide the diversity needed for a portfolio of this breadth.

Tragedy struck on 23 October 2018, when a devastating fire destroyed the original 5,000-square-metre warehouse and more than three million bottles of wine. The loss was catastrophic, but the team rebuilt. On 5 March 2020, a brand-new Logistics Hub was inaugurated, turning the disaster into an opportunity to modernise infrastructure.

Visitors are welcomed at the tasting room on the Welmoed farm, Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 17:00. The estate also features French-inspired cuisine and villa accommodation. As a certified Fairtrade producer and member of WIETA, WOSA, and the IPW sustainability programme, Stellenbosch Vineyards demonstrates that scale and responsibility can coexist — and that a farm first granted in 1690 still has stories left to tell.