The Lourensford Estate was established in the year 1700 and was once part of Willem Adriaan van der Stel’s Vergelegen.  It is arguably one of the most beautiful wine estates in the world. The property was purchased in 1998 by the prominent South African entrepreneur and businessman, Dr. Christo Wiese, with the aim of making it one of the premier wine estates in South Africa. The first plantings of vines began in 2000 and the construction of the unique winery began in 2002 and was completed in record time. The first wines were vinified in 2003.

The magnificent soils and diverse micro-climates create the ideal terroir for world-beating wines. Lourensford is fast-becoming one of the biggest wine estates in South Africa, with over 300 hectares of vines already planted. Extensive research and planning has indicated that 500 hectares of the best cultivars could ultimately be planted on selected slopes.

The cultivated areas for vines on Lourensford are mostly situated on south and south-westerly slopes which have a moderate climate and benefit from the cool breeze which comes in from False Bay during the hot summer months. The bulk of the vineyards are planted on yellow and red coloured apedal- and neocutanic soils of the Oakleaf-, Tukulu-, Pinedene- and Hutton soil forms. These well drained soils have excellent water holding properties as well as a high cation exchange capacity which ensures optimum soil conditions for high quality grape production.

The first 70 ha of vines were planted in 2000 after extensive terroir studies were undertaken to ensure that each cultivar was established on the right soil, aspect and slope. The plantings are part of an ongoing process of establishing between 40 – 70ha of new plantings each year.

Plantings currently consist of red cultivars: Merlot, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Pinotage, Mourvedre and Petit Verdot. White cultivars include Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Chardonnay and Semillon.

The making of premium and icon wines begins in the vineyard and to fulfil the Lourensford mission of “quality without compromise”, detailed vineyard management is of paramount importance. One of the measures taken to reach this goal includes the subdivision of the vineyards into 50ha units, each with its own manager.

All the vines are trellised on a seven wire Perold system with moveable foliar wires to enable maximum sunlight exposure of the leaves and ensuring optimal ripening of the grapes. Each vine is looked upon as an individual unit and oenological practices are adjusted according to differences in growth vigour. The ultimate goal on Lourensford Estate is to establish 500ha of outstanding vineyards producing some of the finest wines in the world.

Green Credentials - For further information on Lourensford's green credentials please download an information sheet here