Diemersfontein

Diemersfontein has been in the Sonnenberg family for three centuries, since the 1940s. The current owner's grandfather purchased the 183 hectare estate, which sits in the shadow of the majestic Hawekwa Mountains. Max Sonnenberg and his son Richard are co-owners of one of South Africa's largest retail chains, Woolworths, and both served in the country's parliament during the Jan Smuts administration. The family used Diemersfontein as a holiday home, and during the war it provided shelter for Italian prisoners of war. Richard Sonnenberg planted the first vines on the farm in the early 1970s, and the winery itself was built in 2000, and since then the estate has been producing its first wines under the direction of winemaker Bertus Fourie. The family focused on the then famous and fashionable Shiraz, Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and also decided to plant Viognier, Barbera and Mourvedre vines as an experiment. The first release took place in 2001 and their Pinotage received the Grand Prix of the South African Wine Show competition in the premium Pinotage category. In 2003, Bertus Fourie was replaced by winemaker Francois Rude, whose career began in 2001 on a larger estate, also within the Wellington region. Upon arrival in Diemersfontein, he literally fell in love with this place and for 14 years has been a guarantor of success, annually creating not only the world-famous coffee Pinotage, but also other premium wines under the Thokozani and Diemersfontein brands. All wines of the estate are produced under the designation of WO Wellington and, according to experts, Diemersfontein has some of the best terroirs within the entire region.