Fort Simon Wines

The charm and fascination of Fort Simon originate in the unusual stone architecture of the tasting room and cellar, which were inspired by Namibian stone houses and medieval European castles. This unique venue opened its cellar to the public for the first time on 22 August 1998.

Fort Simon, situated against the Bottellary Hills outside Stellenbosch, was bought in 1961 by the current owners father, Dr Simon Uys from Namibia. The farm was known as Houmoed.

After the family moved to Houmoed, Simon Uys decided in 1969 to build an entertainment area next to the swimming pool. Inspired by the stone houses of Namibia and the castles in Europe, the building was built resembling a fort. It was named after Simon Uys wife and was called Fort Anna.

In 1983 one of the sons, Renier Uys, decided to move to Houmoed after completing his studies at Elsenburg and gaining a few years experience at Boschendal and Morgenster. In 1997 he decided to build a cellar. He wanted more than just a building in which wine is made. A huge fort was built next to Fort Anna and was named after his father - Fort Simon.

In 1998 the first wines under the Fort Simon label were made by Marinus Bredell, formely of Stellenzicht and Louisvale. Eight wines were made: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, a Sauvignon Blanc/Chardonnay blend, a wood-matured Chenin Blanc, Merlot, Shiraz, Pinotage and a Merlot/Pinotage blend. They plan to add a Cabernet Sauvignon to the range in the near future.

Of the 78 hectares on Fort Simon, 61 hectares are planted with vines. The farm is situated between 185 and 300 metres above sea level and benefits from the cooling effects of the prevailing sea breezes.

The wide variety of slopes and soil types produces a variety of grape characters. Marinus Bredell uses the vineyard as his main guideline and he tries to make the wine as natural as possible and in the New World style.

The farm opened to the public recently and wine tastings and sales are done from Fort Anna. The with its unique style and suspension bridge over the moat make it a first for the Cape winelands.

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