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Zorgvliet Wine Estate lies nestled at the foot of the Simonsberg Mountains in Stellenbosch and was named after a beautiful farm in The Hague. It was the natural beauty that convinced the early European settlers to name the farm Zorgvliet in 1685. It is one of the oldest wine farm names in the country.

Although not sure when the first vines were planted on Zorgvliet the present day Chapel was indicated as the wine cellar in the opgaaf of Johannes Muller in 1732, he also left some 12 leagers of wine.

Simon van der Stel made his famous expedition to Namaqualand in search of copper in 1685. Attempts to find silver met with less success so there was great excitement in 1740 when Frans Diederik Muller claimed to have discovered silver at the Simonsberg. By 1743 Muller had persuaded the authorities to grant him mining rights. With the backing of a reputable businessman, Olaf de Wet a company the Octroojeerde Society der Mynwerken aan de Simonsberg was formed. Muller was appointed Bergmeester (master miner) and work began in 1743 with Company soldiers, sailors and some slaves. For five years Muller continued to demand more labour and funds in order to extract the rich deposits that lay ahead – with promise of silver, later copper and even gold! Eventually the Directors became suspicious and sent a sample of ore to Amsterdam for analyses. Muller was exposed and banished to Batavia. Mining seized but the mine remains intact. Was this a hoax the first white collar crime in South Africa or are there silver and gold deposits to be found in the belly of the Simonsberg?

One of the farms making up the present day Zorgvliet wine estate has been named after the dubious mining project; Silver Mine has also been adopted as the niche label (Silver Myn) for unconventional products such as Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Viognier.                    

The extent of the farm stayed the same until 1899 when the 255 morgen farm was sold as several portions by Johannes Stephanus Pepler. In 2002 Johannes Stephanus vd Merwe and family bought back different portions which after the acquisition of Summer Court brought the farm almost back to its original size and boundaries.

It offers award winning wines that you can savour in the picnic garden. Zorgvliet Wine Estate also boasts with a wedding chapel, Zorgvliet spa and the legendary Le Pommier and Herenhuis restaurants.

The legendary wines are produced from a staggering 130 000 vines that are planted on the farm. Experience a sunset over the valley as you sip a red that could leave you speechless and you will know why this is a place you have to visit as part of your lifetime’s experience.