Michael Malan – Cellar Master, Viticulturist, Red Wine, Chenin Blanc; Danna de Jongh - Cap Classique Winemaker, Chardonnay, Grapesmith; Frank Slabbert - Assistant Winemaker

Simonsig is renowned for producing Cap Classique (traditional bottle fermented sparkling wine) but we also have a long history of producing stellar still wines - with quite a large focus on Pinotage and Chenin Blanc. From a winemaking perspective: Picking dates during harvest is crucial. Catching the vineyard/ grapes at the right time to come to the cellar is half the work done. This is the difference between a balanced and unbalanced wine; Tasting your wines regularly and keeping a pulse on the wines is also important to keep track of their maturation and health; We try to keep things as natural as possible and let the vineyards and wine do the talking.

Simonsig is located in a unique position in the Northern part of Stellenbosch and from here you can see all four main mountains that border the growing area – Simonsberg, Jonkershoek, Stellenbosch Mountain, Helderberg and in the distance you can see Table Mountain and Lions head on a clear day. These mountains play an integral role in the climate/ terroir of Stellenbosch. In the afternoon (at around 3 -4 pm) you will start feeling the cooling sea breeze coming off the ocean. South Africa has some of the oldest (viticultural) soils on earth. It has been weathering down for millions of years and has remained quite stable due to the fact that we are not positioned close to any tectonic plate fault lines thus no real big shifts have occurred here for a long time. Due to all this weathering of the mother material, the soils are considered “poor” in nutrients but this gives us well-balanced vines and grapes of high quality. The mother material consists mainly of Tafelberg Sandstone and Granite. Our estate also has a large portion of Malmesbury Shale, which is a very fine sedimentary clay soil with very good water retention. • Each soil type gives something different and it is important to “pair” the right cultivar to the right soil.

Simonsig is a family-owned and run estate, named after the views of the beautiful Simonsberg mountains. In 1968, Simonsig bottled the first wine at the estate under the Simonsig name - a Chenin Blanc. In 1971, the founder Frans Malan, created the first bottle-fermented sparkling wine in South Africa "Kaapse Vonkel" - giving rise to the Cap Classique category. Simonsig was also one of the three-founding members of the Stellenbosch Wine Route, also a first of its time. We are a brand that is deeply rooted in tradition, which has been passed down through three generations of the Malan family, but we will always have a spirit of innovation.

Products from this producer are not regularly available but can be specially ordered. To place a special order, please fill out the form below and one of our team members will be in touch with you shortly to discuss the details of your order. We thank you for your interest and look forward to hearing from you.