| Groot Constantia | |
|---|---|
 Groot Constantia manor house, a historic Cape Dutch building | |
| Location | Constantia,Cape Town, South Africa. |
| Coordinates | 34°1′52″S18°25′8″E / 34.03111°S 18.41889°E /-34.03111; 18.41889 |
| Built | 17th century |
| Architectural style | Cape Dutch |
  Location of Groot Constantia in Cape Town | |
Groot Constantia is the oldestwine estate in South Africa and provincial heritage site in the suburb ofConstantia inCape Town, South Africa.
"Groot" in Dutch and Afrikaans translates as "great" (as in large) in English.
In 1685, during an annual visit to the Cape,Hendrik Adriaan van Rheede tot Drakenstein granted the grounds of Groot Constantia toSimon van der Stel theVOC Governor of the Cape of Good Hope.[1]: 77
Van der Stel built the house and used the land to produce wine as well as other fruit and vegetables, and for cattle farming. Following Van der Stel's death in 1712 the estate was broken up and sold in three parts: Groot Constantia;Klein Constantia; andBergvliet.
In 1779 the portion of the estate including Van der Stel'sCape Dutch-style manor house was sold to the Cloete family,[1]: 78 who planted extensive vineyards and extended and improved the mansion by commissioning the architectLouis Michel Thibault. The wine cellar was added by Cloete in 1791.[1]: 78 The house remained in the possession of the Cloete family until 1885, during which period the estate became famous for its production ofConstantia dessert wine.
In 1885 Groot Constantia was purchased by the government of theCape of Good Hope and was used as an experimental wine and agricultural estate.[2] Following a disastrous fire in 1925 the house was extensively restored.[3]
In the year 1925 the manor house completely burnt down. Funds were raised to reconstruct it to its original Cape Dutch splendour.[4]
In 1969 the manor house became part of the South African Cultural History Museum, and in 1993 the estate passed into the ownership of the Groot Constantia Trust. The exhibition in the house is managed byIziko South African Museum, and is particularly focused on ruralslavery and the life of slaves during the early Cape colonial period.
Today, other estates have joined Groot Constantia to form the scenic Constantia wine route. These estates includeKlein Constantia,Buitenverwachting,Constantia Uitsig,Steenberg,Constantia Glen,Eagles Nest andHigh Constantia.[4]
Groot Constantia is noted particularly for its production of high-quality red wines, includingShiraz,Merlot and blended red Gouverneurs Reserve. In 2003 the estate began production of aConstantia dessert wine, calledGrand Constance, for the first time since the 1880s.
The estate was home to a historic slave bell, cast in 1716, however it was stolen on the 2nd of September, 2024, and has not been recovered or returned since.[5][6]
