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Fifteen kilometres outside the village of Franschhoek, on land that has been cultivated for more than 320 years, Solms-Delta occupies a singular position in the South African wine landscape. It is a farm where the vines, the history, and the social fabric of the community are treated as equally important -- and where the story of wine is inseparable from the stories of the people who have worked the land across centuries of dispossession, labour, and resilience.
The estate's origins trace to the earliest period of European settlement in the Franschhoek valley, and the property's heritage is presented with unusual transparency. The Museum van de Caab, housed in the farm's original wine cellar dating to 1740, documents not only the French Huguenot and Cape Dutch colonial owners but also -- critically -- a rare and complete record of the farm's slaves, indentured labourers, and descendants of indigenous Khoi communities. This is history told from all sides, and it is the ethical foundation on which Solms-Delta's contemporary identity is built.
Alongside the Museum van de Caab sits the Music van de Caab, an interactive museum dedicated to the history and influences of Cape music, featuring a collection of indigenous musical instruments. A community music programme uses song and dance to build social cohesion among Winelands workers and residents, and Solms-Delta has won the Cape Winelands Social Inclusion Award for its commitment to the cultural welfare of its workforce. In 2005, the Solms family established the Wijn de Caab Trust to benefit the approximately 200 historically disadvantaged residents and employees of the estate.
The wine programme has been reimagined under consultant winemaker Francois Haasbroek, a respected specialist in Rhone varietals. The current range centres on two wines: Hiervandaan, a red blend of Shiraz, Grenache, Cinsaut, and Mourvedre sourced from the schist and granite soils of the Tulbagh Valley and Darling; and Amalie, a white blend of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, and Viognier from granitic Swartland soils. Both are priced at R199, reflecting the estate's commitment to accessibility alongside quality. The shift toward Rhone-style blending marks a new chapter for Solms-Delta's wine identity.
The farm also offers picnic grounds along the Drakenstein mountains, making it one of the few estates in the Franschhoek valley where visitors can combine heritage, music, wine, and outdoor leisure in a single visit. It is a property with a conscience, and the experience it offers is as layered as its history.
Francois Haasbroek serves as consultant winemaker for Solms-Delta, bringing his reputation as a specialist in Rhone varietals to the estate's reimagined wine programme. Haasbroek crafts the Hiervandaan red and Amalie white blends from fruit sourced in the Tulbagh Valley, Darling, and Swartland.
The story of Solms Delta Wine Estate through the years
The property is established during the early period of European settlement, with French Huguenot and Cape Dutch owners cultivating vines in the Drakenstein area.
The farm's original wine cellar is constructed, later becoming the home of the Museum van de Caab heritage museum.
The Solms family creates the Wijn de Caab Trust to benefit the approximately 200 historically disadvantaged residents and employees of the estate.
The Museum van de Caab and Music van de Caab museums open on the estate, documenting the farm's complete social history -- including its slave and indigenous records -- and the history of Cape music.
Solms-Delta wins the Cape Winelands Social Inclusion Award for its commitment to safeguarding the cultural welfare of its workforce.
The Solms-Delta Wine Company relaunches with two Rhone-style blends crafted by consultant winemaker Francois Haasbroek: Hiervandaan (red) and Amalie (white).
Solms-Delta's social sustainability programme is central to the estate's identity. The Wijn de Caab Trust, established in 2005, benefits the approximately 200 historically disadvantaged residents and employees. A community music programme uses song and dance to build cohesion among Winelands labourers and residents. The estate has won the Cape Winelands Social Inclusion Award for its commitment to the cultural welfare of its workforce.