De Waal Wines

The De Waal family has been making wine in South Africa for nine generations, tracing their roots to 1715 when the first De Waals arrived at the Cape. The estate itself dates back to 1682, making it one of the oldest properties in the Stellenbosch Kloof Valley on the western side of Stellenbosch.

The family has been farming this land since 1864, when their branch settled on what is now Uiterwyk Estate. But it is the contribution of CT de Waal that cemented the family's place in South African wine history. In 1941, CT de Waal became the first person ever to make wine from the Pinotage grape, South Africa's only indigenous variety. That achievement links De Waal Wines permanently to the origin story of the country's most distinctive cultivar.

Today, Chris, Pieter and Daniel de Waal represent the ninth generation. Daniel is responsible for the red wines, while Pieter oversees the whites. Between them, they produce three different Pinotage expressions at three price points: the entry-level easy-drinking Pinotage, the more complex CT de Waal Pinotage, and the flagship Top of the Hill Pinotage. The Top of the Hill is crafted from what is recognised as the oldest Pinotage vineyard block in the world, and it was this wine that won the Wine Magazine Champion Pinotage award in 1998.

The winemaking style at De Waal balances Old World finesse with New World fruit. The emphasis is on Pinotage, but the portfolio extends across a Lifestyle Range and a Premium Range, with whites and reds that draw on the cool Stellenbosch Kloof terroir. The Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc round out a portfolio rooted in the classic varieties of the region.

The Stellenbosch Kloof Valley itself is a quiet, tucked-away part of Stellenbosch, away from the busier tourist routes. The valley runs along the western slopes of the Helderberg, catching cool afternoon breezes that moderate summer heat and allow grapes to ripen slowly with retained acidity. It is a terroir that favours patient, structured red wines -- exactly the style the De Waal family has been perfecting for generations.

The tasting room is open Monday to Saturday, 10:00 to 16:00. A Standard Tasting offers five wines from the Lifestyle Range at R50 per person, while the Premium Tasting includes any five wines from the full portfolio, including the Top of the Hill Pinotage, at R100 per person. The setting is unpretentious and welcoming, with the focus squarely on the wines themselves.

De Waal is not a farm of grand estates and elaborate restaurants. It is a family cellar, focused entirely on the vine and the wine. For visitors seeking the authentic heart of Stellenbosch winemaking -- and a direct connection to the birthplace of Pinotage -- De Waal is essential.