Kranskop Wines

The story of Kranskop Wines begins not with its first commercial vintage but with vines that may have been planted as early as 1792 on this Klaasvoogds East property in the Robertson Wine Valley. The modern cellar's first production year was 2001, but the land's viticultural memory runs far deeper.

The person who brought that memory to life is Newald Marais. His first winemaking experience was in a garage on his family's farm Welgeluk outside Robertson — the kind of origin story that only the Breede River Valley can produce. After high school, Marais studied viticulture and pomology at Elsenburg Agricultural College near Stellenbosch, then travelled to Germany to study at Weinbauschule Weinsberg, adding Old World discipline to his New World instincts. He went on to achieve significant success as a winemaker at prominent estates before returning to his valley of origin in 2002, where he became a sought-after winemaking consultant.

In 2009, the ultimate dream was fulfilled: Marais became the owner of Kranskop Wine Estate. With over 30 years of experience, he now pours his heart into his own boutique wine farm, producing a range of 13 single-cultivar wines — four whites, a rose, seven reds, a Cap Classique, and a Noble Late Harvest.

What distinguishes Kranskop's reds is method. All red wines are uniquely pulped with the traditional basket press — a labour-intensive technique that most modern cellars have abandoned in favour of efficiency but that Marais insists produces wines of greater complexity and texture. Each wine has its own story and a limited number of bottles, reflecting the private-cellar scale of production.

The tasting room overlooks the spectacular Robertson wine valley and makes for an ideal spot to work through the range alongside curated cheese boards sourced from the best local producers. The cellar tasting room offers self-guided cellar access, allowing visitors to explore the winemaking operation at their own pace — including a close look at the basket press that defines Kranskop's red wines.

Sustainability matters here. Kranskop holds SIZA, IPW, and WIETA accreditations and is a member of the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative (BWI), ensuring that every bottle is produced without harm to the surrounding environment. The estate's position along Route 62, with views over the valley to the Langeberg Mountains, a dam, and an online shop for remote purchases, makes it accessible to both local visitors and passing travellers.

Kranskop is a winemaker's wine farm — a place where three decades of experience, a traditional basket press, and a valley that has grown vines for over two centuries converge in bottles that are personal, limited, and worth seeking out.