Meerendal celebrates 50 years as Wine of Origin Estate Wine

50 years ago on 1 September 1973, Meerendal was officially declared as a Wine Estate together with the first 14 wine farms in South Africa to receive this privilege. The Wine of Origin Scheme came into operation on this day granting Estate Wine status to the 14 farms.

Meerendal’s rich winemaking heritage goes back to 1702, the founding date of this beautiful farm against the rolling hills of Durbanville. Meerendal bottled their first wine in 1969, a Shiraz and a Pinotage, and these wines have been on the market ever since.  It also boasts the oldest vineyard in the Wine of Origin Cape Town and Durbanville, a Pinotage vineyard that was planted in 1955, 68 years ago. This single vineyard is also registered as a certified heritage vineyard, part of the Old Vines project in the cape winelands, protecting and preserving  vines older than 35 years.

The First 14 registered wine estates, representing pioneers of the country’s esteemed wine industry, have joined forces to commemorate 50 years since the introduction of the Wine of Origin scheme in 1973. This landmark initiative established the legal protection of South African wine-producing areas along with the regulation of wines made from a specific cultivar or vintage. The W.O Scheme is internationally recognised as one of the best of its kind.

Meerendal has added a new historic landmark to the wine estate today. One row of old Muscat d’Alexandria vines has been identified that were planted in 1936 next to the cellar. It has been registered with SAWIS and the Old Vine Project (OVP) too. Rosa Kruger founder of the OVP was the leader of the team at Meerendal to prune these old vines this week.  A special wine will be made from the 23 vines next year.

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Footnote: The Wine of Origin certification scheme (W.O.), which has been administered by the Wine and Spirit Board in cooperation with SAWIS (SA Wine Information Service) since its creation, was officially instituted in 1973 and promulgated in accordance with the Wine, Other Fermented Beverages and Spirit Act of 1957. Among the trailblazers of the South African wine industry, the First 14 wine estates were subsequently granted Wine Estate Status on September 1, 1973, as documented in the Government Gazette nr 1388 on 10 August 1973. (See below)

These esteemed estates, which have all played a significant role in shaping the South African wine landscape, include: Alto, Asara (Verdun), Backsberg, De Waal Wines (Uiterwyk), Groot Constantia, Meerendal, Middelvlei, Montpellier, Muratie, Neethlingshof, Overgaauw, Simonsig, Theuniskraal and Twee Jonge Gezellen.