Constantia: Oldest Wine Region

Napoleon had 1,126 litres of this wine shipped annually to his St. Helena prison — on his deathbed in 1821, the story goes, he refused everything offered except a glass of Constantia wine. Simon van der Stel chose this valley in 1685 after testing soil across the entire Cape; inside the 1791 cellar built by a later owner, Hendrik Cloete, a real Grand Constance bottle from 1821 sits in a display case, from a vintage reportedly destined for Napoleon, who died that year. And you can taste the resurrected sweet Muscat that Baudelaire named in the same breath as opium.

What to do there

5 things to do

1. 1 Find the 1821 Bottle Linked to Napoleon History · Price: low

   Inside the 1791 Cloete Cellar, a 200-year-old bottle of Grand Constance waits. Its 1821 vintage was reportedly destined for Napoleon, who died that year.

   Where: The Cloete Cellar Museum, inside Groot Constantia estate. Follow signs from the main entrance past the manor house — the cellar is the building with the ornate sculptural facade (more on that below). The 1821 bottle is displayed inside.

   What: This is a real bottle of Grand Constance from 1821, a vintage reportedly destined for Napoleon Bonaparte's island prison on St. Helena, though his wine was shipped there in casks, not bottles. Napoleon was having 1,126 litres of this wine shipped to him every year — up to a bottle a day. He called it 'Las Cases' wine' after the count who arranged the deliveries. In May 2021, a single bottle from the same vintage sold at auction for R420,000 ($30,000 USD) — experts predicted $6,000 to $9,000. The bottle on display went back where it was made: these cellar walls.

   How: Entry to the Cloete Cellar is included in the Visitors Route ticket (Manor House Museum, cellar, cellar tour, 5-wine tasting and a souvenir glass). Cellar open daily 10:00–16:00. Once inside, look for the display case near the historic wine vessels. Ask a staff member to point out the 1821 bottle specifically — it's easy to walk past.

   Backup: If the display has moved or is under maintenance, the cellar itself is the story — a functioning wine production space from 1791 that escaped the 1925 fire, which gutted only the Manor House. The wine museum within it traces wine vessels from antiquity to the 20th century.

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2. 2 Decode the God of Wine Carved in Lime Plaster Above Your Head History · Free

   The sculpture on the wine cellar facade is not decoration — it's the myth of wine as a divine act, carved by a German sculptor in 1791.

   Where: Standing in front of the Cloete Cellar building at Groot Constantia — the sculptural pediment is directly above the cellar entrance, facing the courtyard. You see it from 20 metres away.

   What: What looks like decorative baroque excess is actually 'The Rape of Ganymede' — Zeus, disguised as an eagle, abducting the beautiful youth who became the cup-bearer to the Greek gods. Surrounding them: putti figures, bunches of grapes, wine vats. German sculptor Anton Anreith (1754–1822) carved this in lime plaster in 1791. The date 1791 may be the year of an exceptional harvest that owner Hendrik Cloete wanted carved into stone forever. The man who commissioned Napoleon's wine cellar chose the mythology of divine wine service as his emblem.

   How: No entry ticket needed — you can see the pediment from the estate grounds, which are free to walk. Take your time. The detail only becomes visible when you stand close enough to see the individual grapes. The architect, Louis Michel Thibault, designed the building in 1789–1791 after arriving from France as a military engineer. He and Anreith worked as a team on multiple Cape buildings.

   Backup: Photograph it when the light rakes across the relief for the sharpest shadows on the sculpture.

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3. 3 Taste the Wine Baudelaire Set Beside Opium Wine · Price: low

   The sweet Constantia wine was extinct for over 100 years. One winemaker used old ledgers and a nursery clone to bring it back. This is the wine Napoleon is said to have asked for on his deathbed.

   Where: Klein Constantia tasting room, Klein Constantia Road, Constantia — a 5-minute drive from Groot Constantia. Coordinates: -34.038, 18.419. Booking is MANDATORY — this is appointment-only with limited daily capacity. Book via kleinconstantia.com/tasting before your trip.

   What: Vin de Constance is the wine that Napoleon drank up to a bottle a day during his exile. Jane Austen's Mrs Jennings prescribed it for broken hearts in Sense and Sensibility (1811). Baudelaire wrote in Les Fleurs du Mal: 'Even more than Constantia, than opium, than Nuits, I prefer the elixir of your mouth.' Then phylloxera reached the Cape in 1886 and Constantia in 1898. The wine disappeared. For over 100 years, nobody knew exactly how it was made. In 1982, Professor Chris Orffer tracked down a vine clone believed to be descended from the original 1685 vineyard — planted it at Klein Constantia. Duggie Jooste and winemaker Ross Gower pieced the recipe together from old ledgers and diaries. The 1986 vintage was their first attempt. You're tasting the resurrection of a 300-year lineage.

   How: The Vin de Constance Experience (R1,000, 60 minutes) includes a guided cellar tour and a vertical tasting of 3 vintages of Vin de Constance (made from Muscat de Frontignan, late-harvested without botrytis — raisin concentration by sun, not rot). You also get access to the wine-library selection unavailable to the general public. Bottles start at R1,575 for the 2021 vintage at the estate shop; older vintages cost more. Ask to hear the Professor Orffer vineyard-detective story.

   Backup: If Klein Constantia is fully booked, ask at Groot Constantia's tasting room about Grand Constance, their own revival — also from Muscat de Frontignan, also extraordinary, also on the estate where the story started.

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4. 4 Eat the Food the Cape Malay Community Made Its Own History · Price: moderate

   The Cape Malay cuisine at Jonkershuis restaurant exists because the VOC brought enslaved people from Indonesia and Malaysia to this valley in the 1600s. Bobotie, on the menu here, was adopted by the Cape Malay community.

   Where: Jonkershuis Eatery, inside Groot Constantia estate — the thatched building next to the Manor House, set under ancient oak trees. You pass it on the way in. Tel: 021 794 6255. Open for lunch daily.

   What: 'Jonkershuis' means 'dower house' — traditionally the home of the estate widow or eldest son after marriage. The cuisine it now serves is Cape Malay: a direct culinary inheritance from the enslaved workers the Dutch East India Company brought from Indonesia, Malaysia, and other Southeast Asian territories to work this land in the 17th and 18th centuries. Bobotie — gently spiced minced lamb or beef topped with savoury custard, baked until the egg sets — probably takes its name from the Malay word *boemboe* (curry spices), and the Cape Malay community made it its own. Order the traditional beef bobotie (R242), served with egg custard, aromatic rice, a pumpkin fritter and tobacco onions. Pair with Groot Constantia Gouverneurs Reserve (the house's flagship red, 4.5 stars from Platters Guide).

   How: No reservation usually required for lunch, but booking ahead is safer in peak season (Dec–Feb). The Cape Malay lamb curry comes with roti, poppadom, sambals. Mains run from R242 (bobotie) to R318 (lamb curry), before wine. Ask staff about the Jonkershuis building's history — the dower house has its own story separate from the estate.

   Backup: Buitenverwachting (10 mins drive, 37 Klein Constantia Rd) now houses the fine-dining restaurant Beyond, by Peter Tempelhoff, alongside Coffee BloC. Summer picnic baskets under old oaks are available with pre-booking.

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5. 5 Walk the Greenbelt Between the Estates at Dusk Adventure · Free · Optional

   The Constantia Greenbelt threads river trails through the valley; from Groot Constantia, a 4km circular track follows the Keysers River out to Constantia Uitsig. At dusk, with a glass of wine still on your lips, it's the final scene of a perfect day.

   Where: The Constantia Greenbelt — one access point is at Groot Constantia, where a 4km circular track runs along the Keysers River. The trail system follows the Keysers River and Diep River through the valley. Free to enter.

   What: In February 2016, after public consultation, Cape Town officially opened the greenbelt to cyclists. On foot, the trails follow the river through a valley of decomposed granite soils — the same ancient geology that gives Constantia wine its cool, mineral backbone. The False Bay breeze cools the afternoons; you feel it. Klein Constantia sits in the upper foothills of the Constantiaberg, with views across False Bay. At golden hour the Constantiaberg lights up behind the vines.

   How: No ticket, no booking — just walk. Wear comfortable shoes; some trail sections have rocks and tree roots. For cycling, the single track along the Keysers River makes a 4km circular loop, coming out at Constantia Uitsig. AWOL Tours offers guided mountain biking experiences if you want company. The trail connects you to a region where wine has been made on this exact land since 1685.

   Backup: If it's raining or too late for the trail, use the Groot Constantia Digital Farm Map at grootconstantia.co.za and the three VoiceMap audio tours that come free with the Visitors Route ticket — they cover the same landscape within the estate grounds.

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