Klein Constantia

Klein Constantia is a wine estate in the suburb of Constantia in Cape Town, South Africa. History Constantia, the first wine farm in Southern Africa, was established in 1685 by the VOC Governor of the Cape Simon van der Stel, and was used to produce wine as well as other fruit and vegetables and cattle farming. Van der Stel, a keen viticulturist, had been the first to recognize the potential of the decomposed granite soil in the sheltered valley facing False Bay and bounded by sea on both sides after he had had soil samples collected from all over the Cape. He chose this area to plant his vines and named it Constantia. Following van der Stel's death in 1712 the estate was broken up and sold in three parts (Groot Constantia; Klein Constantia; and Bergvliet). Johannes Colijin, a son of a freed slave, ended up owning the Klein Constantia, which was renamed Hoop op Constantia. Johannes resumed winemaking from 1718 and began shipping around the world. The Cloete family In 1778 the portion of the estate surrounding van der Stel's mansion was sold to the Cloete family, who planted extensive vineyards of mostly Frontignac, Pontac, red and white Muscadel and a little Steen (Chenin blanc) and extended and improved the mansion. On the death of Hendrik Cloete in 1818, the estate was split, and the upper portion became the property of Cloete's son Johan Gerhard Cloete under the name Klein Constantia.