Our Story
The History of Constantia Glen
Oldest wine-growing region
of the new world
Constantia Glen is located 20 minutes outside Cape Town’s City in the historical Constantia Wine Valley. The Constantia wine region has a rich past starting in 1685, Napoleon was even known to declare Vin de Constance his favorite wine. All this cements Constantia’s place in history as the oldest wine region, in the new world.
The Foundation of
Constantia Glen
In the mid-20th century Manfred Thurnher, the current owners grandfather, purchased the beautiful Constantia Glen estate. He had gained success in the manufacturing world, creating textiles in Dornbirn (Austria). His company called (m/ä/s/e/r®), was on the search to expand internationally and South Africa was the perfect location. He later went on to create BMD Knitting Mills in Cape Town, South Africa. It was during this time that the farm served as a paradise escape from the Hussle and Bussle of the city.
Winery
Constantia Glen
Constantia has a long history of wine making yet for many years this history was somewhat forgotten at Constantia Glen. By the early 90s most of the farm had been overtaken by pine trees. This is when the family took the opportunity to see if this estate could be brought back to its formal glory.
When soil and climatological analyses from the University of Stellenbosch showed that Constantia Glen provided excellent conditions for growing grapes, the decision was finalized. First plantings of vineyards took place at the beginning of the 2000s and our first vintage was produced 2007. The goal was to produce wines that impressed not only locally but also on the international level. And so, towards the end of the last century, history had come full circle, top quality wines were once again being produced in this historical area.
Our Philosophy at Constantia Glen
To us, wine means a great deal more than just passion: In our understanding wine is a gift of nature, an unforgettable taste sensation, and a cultural asset of the first order. In our opinion only wines of the finest quality deserve to be associated with these attributes. We aspire to achieve these qualities with joy and durability. For us, it is therefore a matter of course that we consistently limit the production of grapes, harvest by hand and use biological pest control.
Constantia Glen’s Terroir
You’ll find us at the most northern end of the Constantia Valley, cradled between Table Mountain and the northeastern slopes of the Constantiaberg. Here, our vineyards are exposed to late afternoon sun, ideal for our late-ripening red wine varietals, including Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot.
Our location near the Cape of Good Hope means that we have a constant cold maritime breeze from the Atlantic, on three sides, resulting in a moderate climate with significantly lower day-time temperatures. All of this results in sufficient rainfall, therefor we do not rely on supplementary irrigation.
Both the maritime climate and our unique location allows our grapes to ripen slowly in the sun and to be infused with high levels of flavor. This allows us to achieve exceptional phenolic ripeness resulting in high quality wines.
Just as we strive for unsurpassable quality in our winemaking and sustainable cultivation, so we've designed our cellar to reflect these ethos. We rely on gravity and other traditional methods, all requiring additional time, labor and effort.
At Constantia Glen we have always thought of our unique terroir as a privilege, but also an obligation
to carefully cultivate this gift from heaven.
Constantia Glen Wine House
Just as we strive for unsurpassable quality in our winemaking and sustainable cultivation, so we've designed our cellar to reflect these ethos. We rely on gravity and other traditional methods, all requiring additional time, labor and effort.
No trade-offs were made in the technical aspects of our cellars. Our harvesting tables transport freshly destemmed grapes to our sorting team who ensures that only flawless berries are hand-selected to be processed.
Our Constantia Glen red wines are fermented in French oak barrels made by various coopers to ensure a wide spectrum of flavors.
Constantia Glen Team
Consistency is our key to success
We are a family-run business that is built on the solid relationships with our employees and customers. Our cellar master, Justin van Wyk (who was named Diner’s Club Winemaker of the Year for 2021) as well as our senior staff members: Horst Prader, Patrick Gobizembe, Dawid van Aswegen, Myra van Aswegen, have been working with us since Constantia Glen was established and have become part of our extended family. This is not only a farm, but a collection of individuals that have come together over a common love of wine. This has been the secret of our success.
Constantia Glen Vinothek
The Constantia Glen Vinothek, sells our wines all across Europe. You also have the option to taste and buy our wines directly in our wine house in Dornbirn.
Constantia Glen Vinothek GmbH
6850 Dornbirn, Am Kehlerpark 1
Austria
Monika Addis and Michael Kaufmann
Monday to Friday 8:00 – 12:00 and by agreement
Impressions
