Vin de Constance
The Vin de Constance from the Constantia wine region is one of the most famous wines in the world. Its history began in the 17th century when the governor Simon van der Stel was given a farm and named it Constantia. He planted the grape variety Muscat de Frontignan and made the first sweet wines from the grapes. When Hendrik Cloete took over the farm, the wine quickly became world famous. He named the honey-like, apricot-scented wine simply after the wine region. For some time it was one of the most expensive wines in the world and it was impossible to imagine European noble courts without it.
The Rebirth of Vin de Constance
Even great historical figures such as Napoleon did not want to do without their Vin de Constance. After the winery was nationalized and production ceased for more than a hundred years, the Jooste family bought the farm and revived the wine in the 1980s. Today, strict rules govern the preparation. Low yields, ripe grapes, slow fermentation and aging in oak barrels are mandatory in the preparation of Vin de Constance. It is distributed in a replica of the original bottle. The Vin de Constance is considered by many wine lovers and critics as the best dessert wine of all time in South Africa.