Origin Wine Stellenbosch

Origin Wine occupies a sprawling production facility on the Bottelary Road in Koelenhof, just outside Stellenbosch, but its reach extends far beyond the Cape Winelands. Founded in 2002 by Swiss-born Bernard Fontannaz, the company began as a one-stop wine industry service provider -- handling everything from vineyard sourcing and blending to bottling, branding, and logistics. Within two decades, Fontannaz built Origin into one of South Africa's largest wine businesses, processing over 80 million litres annually and employing 331 people across operations in Stellenbosch, Mendoza (Argentina), and Valais (Switzerland).

The Koelenhof facility is the engine room of the operation. From here, Origin manages its portfolio of brands, the most prominent being Stormhoek -- the UK's leading South African wine brand -- and Mendoza Vineyards. The company also operates a substantial own-label and private-label division, designing bespoke wine products for international retailers. In recent years, Origin has expanded into organic wines under the Origin Uncut label, and has developed Craft&Origin as a platform for smaller-batch, artisanal offerings.

While Origin's core business is volume and export -- selling into the UK, USA, Canada, Russia, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, and Germany -- Fontannaz has also pursued a premium ambition. In 2016 he acquired Le Grand Domaine in Devon Valley, Stellenbosch, creating a chateau-concept estate focused exclusively on Bordeaux varietals. The Grand Vin de Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 won the International Cabernet Sauvignon Trophy at the 2025 International Wine Challenge, validating the quality aspiration.

The Koelenhof site itself houses tasting facilities and a gift shop, offering visitors a window into the scale of South African wine production. It is a working winery rather than a picturesque estate, but for those interested in the business side of wine -- from bulk blending to brand creation -- Origin provides a perspective that few Cape farms can match. The company's turnover exceeds GBP 50 million, making it one of the most commercially significant wine operations in the Western Cape.

The Stormhoek brand deserves particular attention. Launched as a disruptive, social-media-savvy wine label in the mid-2000s, it became the first South African wine to build a mass following through online marketing and blogger outreach -- a strategy considered revolutionary at the time. Today Stormhoek anchors Origin's retail presence in the UK and accounts for a significant share of South African wine sold in British supermarkets. The brand covers the core varietals -- Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, and Chardonnay -- at price points designed for everyday drinking.

Bernard Fontannaz remains the driving force, splitting his time between South Africa, Argentina, and Switzerland. His vision has always been to bridge the gap between high-volume, value-driven wine and premium, terroir-focused production -- a duality that defines Origin's identity in the South African wine landscape.