Background

In 1898 Piet Joubert bought the farm Klein Simonsvlei for his second son Daniel who started his farming career at the age of 22. At that time the farm produced 50 tons of grapes. Half a century later Daniel was producing 800 tons of grapes, all of it being pressed in the cellar on the estate. Over the years he had become an important supplier of high quality wine to the wholesale wine industry.

The next Joubert in line was Daniel jnr, known by the abbreviated “Niel”, who took over the running of the farm in 1950 and continued the process by upgrading the cellars and improving the quality of the wines even further. The dream to establish an "own" label became reality and viable in 1994 with the lifting of economic sanctions and the opening of the world’s markets to South African wines.

The third generation Daniel Joubert (this time known as “Daan” and not “Niel”!) has now taken up a great deal of the responsibility in running the vineyard and wine making operations, whilst the fourth generation is still studying.

The Joubert family are, by calling, horticulturalists and grape growers. The maxim that the best fertiliser for the vineyard is that of the grower's footsteps is no more true than at Klein Simonsvlei. They are “hands-on” in the extreme and with a simple but focussed approach to produce the best fruit, and quality wine.

None of this can be achieved without Mother Nature and the moderate climate, with an average winter rainfall of 900mm and temperatures ranging from 2 degrees Celsius in winter to 30 degrees Celsius in summer, as well as a cooling Atlantic breeze in summer, greatly contributes to the flavour retention in the grape. The vineyards are some 160 Ha in extent and cellars are situated on the slopes of the Simonsberg mountain overlooking the town of Paarl. Variations in soil type and aspect result in wines of individuality and character.

The cellars have been extensively modernised in recent years with as natural a flow as possible being maintained, and with a policy of minimum interference being followed.

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