Simon van der Stel
Simon van der Stel, born in Mauritius in 1639, is considered the father of wine production in South Africa. In 1679 he reached South Africa and was appointed commander at the Cape of Good Hope. In the same year, he founded the town of Stellenbosch, which is the cornerstone of today's most famous wine-growing region in South Africa. Six years later, he obtained several estates, which he named Constantia. Simon van der Stel quickly planted numerous grape varieties and quickly began producing wine. There he is also said to have created the important drop "Vin de Constance". In 1691 he became the first governor of the then new colony. Only one year later his wines were known worldwide and were present in the greatest royal houses of the world.