About

Approximately 55 km from Oudtshoorn, as you drive along the Willomore road northwards, you find Excelsior Winery on Vlakteplaas. For 150 years the farm has been in the Schoeman Family and Danie, son of Jurie, is the fifth generation on the farm.

This daring move to begin a new venture into wine farming was the initiative of the late John Schoeman, Jurie's father, who risked planting 20 000 Muscadel and 10 000 Hanepoot vines shoots during the depression of 1930. The year 1934 saw his entry into the wine trade and the building of the original cellar which was designed from an old hay barn with six barrels and two cement tanks. Extensions were made in 1994 and again in 1990.

From these humble beginnings Excelsior-Vlakteplaas' Muscadel soon became a countrywide name. Johan Schoeman conquered the much sought after General Smuts Trophy at the Paarl Wine Exhibition in 1942 - 1943 for the best wine and clinched two more trophies for his Muscadel and Jerepigo wines.

This proud tradition has been maintained by his son, Jurie and grandson, Danie, who still today, produce a variety of wines, especially Muscadel wines in the original cellar that has been partially modernized. The good quality of the wines are owing to the calcium-rich soil and the fresh mountain water from the Swartberg mountains, while the warm, dry climate of the Klein Karoo enhances the growth of healthy full-ripe grapes.

The past 40 years have seen the cellar compete at numerous wine exhibitions and Excelsior-Vlakteplaas has successfully produced gold and silver medal winners and numerous category winners, especially in the Muscadel and Jerepigo categories.

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