Constantia Wine Region

Constantia is the oldest wine-producing area in South Africa and one of the oldest in the southern hemisphere. Groot Constantia was established in 1685 by Simon van der Stel, then Governor of the Cape Colony, who recognised the southern slopes of the Constantiaberg mountain as ideal for viticulture — sheltered from the northwest, cooled by southeast breezes from False Bay, and with deep, well-drained sandstone soils.

The wines of Constantia became celebrated throughout Europe in the 18th century. The sweet Muscat wine known as Constantia wine was considered one of the finest dessert wines in the world, documented to have been served at the courts of Frederick the Great of Prussia and Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon requested Constantia wine during his final years of exile on Saint Helena (1815–1821), where it was supplied to him by the Dutch governor of the island.

Today Constantia is a residential suburb on the south side of the Cape Peninsula, approximately 20 km from Cape Town city centre. It is the most accessible wine region from Cape Town — a 30-minute drive that makes half-day visits practical. The region is small — approximately eight significant wine estates — but produces wines of consistently high quality, particularly cool-climate Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and the revived Vin de Constance dessert wine.

The region's cool climate — influenced by Atlantic Ocean air from the Cape of Good Hope and southeast winds from False Bay — allows long, slow ripening and the preservation of natural acidity. This is particularly suited to white varieties and the production of complex, food-friendly wines.