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