Spier – almost as old as Stellenbosch itself
Stellenbosch was founded by, and named for, Simon van der Stel, the Governor of the Cape in 1679. He was certain that excellent wine could be made in the good Stellenbosch soils with abundant water – as he himself later did on his own wine farm in Constantia.
Spier, on the banks of the Eerste River was granted to a German soldier Arnoud Jansz who within twelve months of settling there had already planted vines, grain and was keeping livestock. Jansz first made wine on the property in 1700 that started Spier down the road to becoming a shining star in South Africa’s winemaking firmament.
By half way though the 18th century Spier was a well-known producer of quality wine and its owner John Bernhard Hoffman would have been shipping barrels of the produce of his cellar across the Cape Flats by horse and cart.
The famous old building on Spier bearing the date 1767 was built by Albertus Myburgh, who owned the property between 1765 and 1781. This was Myburgh’s new wine cellar, and until today this building remains – along with many others on Spier – one of the finest examples of Cape Dutch architecture in the beautiful Cape winelands.
I got to know owner Neil Joubert shortly after he bought Spier in 1965. He it was who restored the beautiful old buildings and planted the vineyards to red varieties like Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Gamay Noir, Cinsaut and Grenache. White varietals such as Chenin Blanc, Colombard and Clairette Blanche were planted, this was in the days before Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc became de rigueur at the Cape. Of interest is that during the early 1970s Spier was one of the world’s largest producers of Pinotage, a cultivar that was created in South Africa by Professor Abram Perold who crossed Pinot Noir with Hermitage [now known as Cinsaut].
Neil Joubert, a descendant of the French Huguenots who arrived at the Cape in the late 17th Century to escape persecution as a result of the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, took Spier to great heights as a wine farm while at the same time playing a founding role in The Stellenbosch Wine Route with Frans Malan and Spatz Sperling. And the rest, as they say is history.
The Spier Hotel
Spier’s current owners have turned it into a centre for the arts, a luxury hotel, a major tourist destination for those interested in their cheetah and raptor outreach programs and a home of some of the finest wines of the Cape. Sustainability is of key importance to the entire operation, and active programs are in place to maintain the environment and the communities that lie at the heart of Spier.
The Cellar is presided over by Frans Smit who, with his talented team produces award-winning premium wines under the names of Spier and Savanha, each brand offering a variety of labels offering premium quality at excellent value. Frans’s medal cabinet fair rattles with Veritas awards, honours in the ABSA Top Ten Pinotage Competition. Awards from abroad feature medals from the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, the International Wine Challenge, Mundus Vini in Germany and the International Wine & Spirit Competition, London.
Frans Smit
The Spier Colours and Discover ranges of wines are driven by fruit and are made for enjoyment on their own and while they are young, every day wines offering consistent quality at a great price.
The Spier Classic wines are beautifully balanced, and just packed with flavour and fruit and made from grapes grown in selected vineyards and picked at perfect ripeness. Subtle wood maturation ensures a light, elegant undertow of oak that supports the prominent fruit. Quality and price are paramount here.
The Spier Vintage Selection range is vineyard based and the viticulturists ensure excellent quality grapes from which the winemakers retain the natural fruit flavour and meticulous care in the cellar is a hallmark of this range. Vintage Selection Singles offers four varietal wines and Vintage Selection Blends offers one white and two red blended wines.
The Spier Private Collection offers an über-premium range of wines for which the winemakers hand-select grapes from mature single low-yielding vineyards. Careful maturation takes place in tight-grained oak barrels, with only the best of the barrels included in the range. This multi-award winning range offers complex wines that can be further matured for increased enjoyment in years to come.
Winegrowing area Stellenbosch
Owners Spier Wines
Winemaker Frans Smit
P O Box 99, Lynedoch 7603
Annandale Road, Stellenbosch
Western Cape, South Africa
Tel: +27 21 809 1143
Fax: +27 21 809 1144
E-mail: info@spier.co.za Web: www.spierwines.co.za
