Meerendal Wine Estate

About Winery and Wines

For this 300-year old wine estate, history was made in 1714 when Christina Stans, widow of the first owner, planted 60,000 vines on the rolling hills of Meerendal. Following in her footsteps, Liza Goodwin, cellarmaster and winemaker since 1998, kept this tradition alive. She continues to make award-winning wines from a variety of vines planted on the estate, especially from the Pinotage bush vines planted in 1955. Meerendal was also one of the first fourteen farms to be awarded wine estate status, when the Wine of Origin legislation was introduced in 1993. Recently new Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vineyards were planted, and wine is now exported to more than twelve countries. Wine tastings are held in the cellar, and weather permitting, wine can be enjoyed outside on the verandah with panoramic views over the vineyards and the Boland mountains. A cheese or cold meat platter can be ordered with a glass of wine at the Meerendal Bistro, or choose to have a healthy farm breakfast, delicious lunch or delightful dinner at the Crown Restaurant and Wine Bar. There is also a chapel, and Meerendal is a venue for weddings, conferences and functions. The beautifully restored Manor House is a luxury boutique hotel and there are six lovely guest cottages on the farm. The estate welcomes day visitors and, with its extensive network of trails, provides the ideal location for mountain biking, trail running, walking and other recreational activities.

The hills of Meerendal rise above the flat surrounding landscape which is virtually at sea level. In the early morning hours, they are often shrouded in mist. Together these hills and valleys provide an almost endless variety of slopes, soil types and micro climates that make it possible to grow a range of classic cultivars with equal success. The Durbanville area is amongst the coolest wine-growing areas in the Cape Winelands and benefits from receiving very little rain during the summer The cool character of the area doesn’t have much to do with its height above sea level, but mainly with the southeast wind which blows from False Bay over the vineyards (mainly on late afternoons during the summer months). It is surprisingly cold when it blows over the contours of the hills, drenching the vineyards in cool, moist air even on the hottest days. This slows the ripening of the fruit and concentrates flavour in the berries.