Diemersfontein Wine Estate in Wellington
is located at the foot of the Hawekwa Mountains overlooking the Du Toit's Kloof and Bainskloof mountain ranges. The approximately 183-hectare estate has been owned by the Sonnenberg family for three generations. Today, around 46 hectares are planted with vines. Varieties grown include Pinotage, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Mourvèdre and Roobernet.
The family's history at Diemersfontein began in the early 1940s, when Max Sonnenberg acquired what was then a fruit farm. His son Richard planted the first Chenin Blanc vineyards in the 1970s. Under David and Sue Sonnenberg, viticulture was expanded further. A dedicated winery was built in 2000, and with the 2001 vintage modern wine production began under the Diemersfontein name.
The Diemersfontein name is particularly closely associated with Pinotage. The first vintage in 2001 won the Paul Sauer Trophy for an oak-matured Pinotage at the South African Young Wine Show. Soon afterwards this developed into today's well-known The Original Pinotage, with its distinctive aromas of freshly brewed coffee, dark chocolate, plums and fine mint. This aromatic style made the wine one of South Africa's best-known Pinotages.
The Original Pinotage is produced as Wine of Origin Wellington. For the 2023 vintage, brief cold maceration is followed by fermentation in stainless steel. The wine is then developed further with French oak and matured for around six months. The result combines Pinotage's typical dark fruit with characteristic coffee and chocolate aromas and soft tannins.
Alongside this well-known style, Diemersfontein presents Pinotage in other expressions. The Prodigy focuses more strongly on red and dark fruit and an immediate, approachable character. Carpe Diem Pinotage Reserve, by contrast, is produced from lower yields and matures for considerably longer in French and American oak. The Pinotage selection therefore ranges from fruit-driven wines to structured reserve bottlings with longer development potential.
The range also includes Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz as well as various blends and reserve wines. Cellar Master and Winemaker Francois Roode is responsible for wine production; he joined Diemersfontein as Assistant Winemaker in 2003. Alongside its own vineyards, the estate also works with long-term partners to supplement demand for individual wines.
Diemersfontein thus combines family history, the wine landscape of Wellington and a particularly distinctive approach to Pinotage. At Vin Africa you will find both the famous The Original Pinotage with its coffee and chocolate aromas and other red and white wines that demonstrate the estate's diversity.