Klein Constantia

Dating back to 1685 and described as one of the world’s most beautiful wine estates, Klein Constantia is set amidst ancient trees on the upper foothills of the Constantiaberg, with views across False Bay. The perfect location for cool climate wines, Klein Constantia produces one of the world’s best natural sweet wines, Vin de Constance.

Prized by leaders and aristocracy throughout 18th Century Europe, Constantia’s Vin de Constance soon became part of the literature of the 19th century. In Edwin Drood, Charles Dickens tells of “…the support embodied in a glass of Constantia and a home-made biscuit”, while Jane Austen recommends that her forsaken heroine try a little Constantia for “…its healing powers on a disappointed heart”.

Today, Klein Constantia continues to make wines that reflect the cool Constantia climate, as well as their historic tradition under the watchful eye of talented winemaker Matthew Day. 

Botrytis was not a feature of the original Constantia wines, because it wasn’t present in the Cape at that time. For the sake of historical accuracy, therefore, Vin de Constance is a late-harvest style made from Muscat de Frontignan (aka Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains) grapes, without botrytis. First plantings of these Muscat vines were in 1982, and the first release of the new era Constantia was the 1986 vintage, released in 1990.