Tall Stellenbosch oak trees guard the road to Lanzerac Estate. An earthiness lingers. On your right-hand side, you can see outstretched vineyards, with large purple grapes glinting in the sunlight. Ahead lies the magnificent Cape Dutch design of the Lanzerac hotel, deli, tasting room and spa.
It seems impossible that less than a year ago, fire and thick black smoke sowed its devastation here.
The beautiful Stellenbosch mountains surrounds the Lanzerac Estate, keeping it safe. It seems almost impossible that less than a year ago a terrible fire sowed its devastation here. PHOTO: Grethe Bestbier
The beautiful Lanzerac wine estate teems with history. Dating back to 1692, Lanzerac will celebrate its 326th anniversary this year.
When Simon van der Stel arrived in Stellenbosch, he granted parts of land to merchants in the area. This farm was given to the first owner Isaac Schrijver.
In the years following, many buyers desired the land. The most prominent of the purchases was in 1914, by a woman called Elizabeth Katherina English. A South African by birth, she married a wealthy diamond merchant from Britain and lived a glamorous life in Addington Castle in Kent.
When her husband died, Kitty (as she was called by her friends and family) returned to South Africa. She boarded a ship and took on the stormy seas to the Cape of Good Hope.
In 1924, Kitty bought the land for £18 000. She planted 21 varietals of grapes. One of these, was Pinotage.
1925 saw the birth of South Africa’s first, unique and indigenous wine grape variety. “Lanzerac was the first farm to bottle Pinotage in the world,” says Wynand Lategan, Lanzerac’s wine maker since 2005.
The last sun of the day casts a warm light on the vineyards of Lanzerac Estate. In 1914, Lanzerac’s owner planted 21 varietals of grape, with one of these being Pinotage. This wine land is known for bottling the first Pinotage, earning it the title of the official “House of Pinotage”. PHOTO: Grethe Bestbier
In 1958 the three-star Lanzerac hotel was built, and with it arrived the glory of Lanzerac. Famous cheese lunches, the iconic Lanzerac Rosé in the famous teardrop bottle and the start of the golden days.
“We had great occasions there. It was one of the nicest outings for students. For R1, and later R2 in those days, you could eat as much as you wanted. We sometimes succeeded in being served wine without even paying,” says Gert Heunis, who was a Matie from 1977 to 1980.
“After six in the evening you had to put on a tie. I remember one evening we had such a good time and it went past six. One of my friends didn’t have a tie, and just put on his belt as one.”
Old Maties might also tell you of Oom Manie who manned the bar for 50 good years.
“He was so popular. When [students] came here they drank by him. And when they come back one day when they are old, they still remember him,” says Jerry, who has worked at Lanzerac since 2005.
Jerry, with his warm eyes and creased face, is from Johannesburg.
“I heard of the place here in Cape Town. By the time I decided to come here I was still a very small boy. Lanzerac was a big name. Lanzerac Rosé… Lanzerac Cabernet… All those big names. I said okay. I’m going to go there.”
But the glory of Lanzerac was threatened by flames on the night of 28 May last year. There was a wedding. The party had just gone to bed when the smell of smoke and strange sounds alarmed the night auditor. Flames were licking at the hotel’s walls.
The beautiful Manor House of Lanzerac, with its main gable dating back to 1830. Tourists and guests spend hours photographing this historic building because of its Cape Dutch architecture. Restoration and rebuilding is underway after a terrible fire damaged the estate last year. PHOTO: Grethe Bestbier
All the guest areas suffered. Decades of history – photos, documents and letters – were destroyed.
Due to the extensive damage by a suspected electrical fire the hotel was closed for an entire year, but excitement hangs tangibly in the air as Lanzerac hotel reopened on the 1st of July.
According to Jo-Anna Looms, the head of marketing, Lanzerac is “really starting fresh”.
“(We) are taking what worked in the past and adjusting it for the future.
– Grethe Bestbier