For wine lovers visiting the Cape, Durbanville represents a road less travelled. Nonetheless, it has a long history linked to wine and agriculture to be highlighted by a major milestone next year.
Groot Phesantekraal, first granted in 1698, is one of the few farms that can trace its history back to the very first record of freehold farms in what was called the Tygerberg district. Photos: Clifford Roberts
Visitors to the Cape generally first come to know its wines via Constantia. Durbanville, which is almost equidistant, remains a distant second. In fact, tours are likely to bypass the region and head for Stellenbosch.
There are several reasons. Both Constantia and Stellenbosch are at the pinnacle of the tourism trifecta of history, excellence and experience. Durbanville’s record as the home of world-class brands is more recent, but its history – which the celebration of a major upcoming milestone hopes to reaffirm – is no less ancient.
Durbanville celebrates its 200th anniversary next year. Its importance now is that it was in September the year before that farmers began lobbying for municipal independence. The result was a community that thrived, giving rise to, among other things, one of the country’s leading regions in premium wine production.
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Durbanville celebrates its 200th anniversary next year. Its importance now is that it was in September the year before, that farmers began lobbying for municipal independence. The result was a community that thrived, giving rise to, among other things, one of the country’s leading regions in premium wine production.
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The cornerstone of Durbanville’s first church was laid on 1 April 1825. This has been taken as the official founding date of the settlement and the reason for festivities being planned.
The journey to this event began on 23 September 1824. Eleven of the region’s farmers directed a letter to the Cape governor of the time, Lord Charles Somerset, for the establishment of their own church. Of course, beyond historical relevance, the letter had nothing to do with the South African government declaring, in 1996, 24 September as National Heritage Day.
It was also by happy coincidence that a media lunch took place at Groot Phesantekraal, one of the region’s prominent wine producers, just this week. The Durbanville Wine Valley association is hosting what it calls a Heritage Tasting Series to highlight the wine history of the region. Among featured farms to date have been Meerendal, D’Aria and De Grendel – all of which have their roots in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Left: The farm has a long and pioneering history with chenin blanc. Right: Above and below: The restaurant at Groot Phesantekraal has been revamped and has a new chef, Germaine Esau (previously of Dash and Myoga Restaurant), at the helm. (Photso: Clifford Roberts)
The essence of Durbanville began, as is the case with almost every human settlement, with agriculture. Although now representing the “northern suburbs” of the city of Cape Town, its evolution followed the typical patterns of wilderness making way for farmlands. Among them was Groot Phesantekraal, first granted in 1698. It is one of the few farms that can trace its history back to the very first record of freehold farms in what was called the Tygerberg district.
The homestead has a collection of rare antiques, including a bed dating to the era of the Dutch East India Company. (Photo: Clifford Roberts)
The main business of the farms of the time was supplying operations at the Cape, a busy harbour for ships engaged in trade and conquest. There were also many travellers seeking their fortunes in hinterlands beyond the Cape. To the north of the harbour, about a half hour’s drive these days, a replenishment station formed around a water source on the farm Pampoenkraal. Here, the seeds of a town were sown. Political expediency saw it eventually renamed in honour of Sir Benjamin D’Urban, governor of the Cape Colony in the 1830s, and Durbanville was born.
About Groot Phesantekraal
Like its neighbours, farming activities at Groot Phesantekraal were – and still are – diverse, and included predominantly cattle, sheep and grain.
“Durbanville has many farms with multigenerational histories,” says Andre Brink, who owns Groot Phesantekraal with his wife, Ronelle. “This property is unique, however, in that only three families have farmed here.”
Left: The Marizanne Reserve Sauvignon Blanc is named after the Brinks’ only daughter. They have two sons, who are involved in managing the farms. Right: The Berliet gets its name from the French automobile, owned by the family and passed down through generations.
Andre’s great-grandfather, Arend, bought the property in 1897 when he and his brother sold their pony-haul transport business. Soon after, he etched his name in a pane of glass in the kitchen, which can still be seen today. “During recent renovations, I told the contractor that there’s a R500 000 penalty if that window is broken,” says Andre. “Needless to say, it remained perfectly intact!”
The large farm earns half its income from grain and 25% from livestock. Vineyards have come and gone over the years, but with the arrival of the Brink family’s fourth generation in the 1990s, focus intensified. Today, the property has 80 hectares under vine, with plantings on a second farm to be expanded. The newly revamped wine tasting centre, restaurant and cellar are the heart of the wine brand.
Left: A side dish of mosbolletjies and an oat loaf was laid on. Right: The Anna de Koning is a chenin blanc that is named after the wife of Olof Bergh, who came to the Cape as the daughter of a slave. Her mother worked in the household of Jan van Riebeeck. Winemaker Charles Shroeder employs amphora in the making of the wines. (Photos: Clifford Roberts)
Exposed to the cool air of the Atlantic Ocean nearby, Durbanville champions sauvignon blanc, although a cooler-than-average climate promotes both excellence and diversity. Groot Phesantekraal, in turn, lays claim to having planted the region’s first chenin blanc, one of the country’s longest-cultivated varieties. It has set its sights on becoming “the home of cool climate chenin blanc”, says winemaker Richard Shroeder.
Above and below: The meal included traditional fishcake made of snoek, served as a starter. The main comprised roast lamb from Groot Phesantekraal, roast potatoes and a pumpkin tart. (Photos: Clifford Roberts)
As might be expected, there are many fascinating anecdotes that emerge from a long family history. Arend Brink bought Groot Phesantekraal from a JA Louw, one of the many Louws still present in the valley. “On a visit, a neighbour came across my great-grandfather putting up special fences to keep jackals out,” Andre recounts. “‘But Durbanville doesn’t have jackals,’ exclaimed the neighbour. ‘Ja,’ came the response, ‘but there are a lot of Louws!’”
Left: The 1897, a cabernet sauvignon named after the date the Brinks took ownership of the land. Right: Andre and Ronelle Brink (Photos: Clifford Roberts)
Another story relates to his surprise discovery soon after taking over, that under the demarcation system, Groot Phesantekraal’s wine would be deemed to come from Paarl. The farm is further from that town than Cape Town’s CBD! While it would be that famous region’s winery closest to the ocean (at less than 20 kilometres), the demarcation was a real stretch. Eventually, the governing board changed its views, and Groot Phesantekraal became proudly “Wine of origin: Durbanville”.
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