Klein Constantia

The Klein Constantia winery is located on a narrow headland on the southern cape at the back of Table Mountain. 

Little Constantia - Pearl of the Cape

The rather cool Constantia area is the cradle of South African viticulture and is considered to be the historically most important wine region, especially because of its sweet wine. In the 1980s, the Jooste family acquired the historically significant winery, lovingly restored it and was able to revive its former reputation.

A small list of fans of the wine from Klein Constantia

The Little Constantia Winery boasts an illustrious history in which many famous people and institutions immortalised the glory of Constantia wine, among them:

• the Dutch East India Company 
• Frederick II the Great of Prussia
• Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette
• George Washington and Tomas Jefferson
• Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock
• Jane Austen
• Napoleon Bonaparte
• Alexandre Dumas and Charles Baudelaire
• Charles Dickens

Whether all these great names had a Vin de Constance in their glass is questionable, as it was only available in small quantities and was therefore withheld from kings and nobles. Nevertheless, the wine from Constantia was a symbol of supreme pleasure, which was often used by writers in literature.

The present

It is with great respect and enthusiasm that today's winemaker Matthew Day takes on the task of continuing the tradition of the winery first mentioned in 1817. Today, Klein Constantia is not only famous for its beauty, but is also considered one of South Africa's emerging crus. Something very special, for example, is the famous dessert wine "Vin de Constance", which has been around since 1791 and is probably one of the most outstanding wines in the world. After long and intensive research, the Jooste family has brought this legend back to life after this wine had been forgotten for several decades. In the meantime, the Vin de Constance is showered with praise from all sides.

Wines from Little Constantia 

Klein Constantia, in the higher elevations of the Constantiaberg, also offers excellent conditions for white grape varieties à la Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay Riesling and, of course, Muscat de Frontignan on granite soils blown over by ocean winds. Further below, where the ancient trees develop their canopy of leaves and the sun shines longer, vines with red varieties such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec thrive. The South African winery Klein Constantia strives for wines with varietal character that also reflect the country in all its glory. To achieve this, the team is dedicated to preserve and strengthen the terroir with environmentally friendly and biodynamic measures, so that the highly concentrated and aromatic grape aromas harmonise in balanced and mineral wines.