Diemersdal

was founded in 1698 by the free citizen Hendrik Sneewind after Simon van der Stel gave him the land. After marrying Sneewind's widow, the property passed to Captain Diemer and Diemersdal was officially founded. An inventory book from 1702 documents that wine was made at Diemersdal for more than three hundred years, with 45 wine barrels, a wine press and glass bottles. In 1885, the wine estate passed into the hands of the current owners, the Louw family, who have now been producing wine with love and passion for six generations and over 120 years, making Diemersdal a well-known trademark in the lush Durbanville Valley, one of the oldest wine-growing regions in the Cape.

 

With Table Mountain in the background, Diemersdal Estate is situated on the cool slopes of the Dorstberg in Durbanville - the perfect terroir for the production of unique premium wines, mainly Sauvignon Blanc and Pinotage. The Diemersdal Estate covers 340 hectares, of which 180 hectares are planted with vines. 

The Diemersdal Estate wines, especially Sauvignon Blanc and Pinotage, are a perfect expression of the Durbanville terroir, a complex combination of topography, soil and climate. The vines grow on deep red Hutton soils of weathered granite with a high clay content and are exposed to the cool mists that blow in from the Atlantic every afternoon. This allows the grapes to ripen evenly and develop concentrated flavours without additional irrigation.

 

 

At Diemersdal, the old and new worlds of winemaking come together.In an effort to produce high quality red wines such as Pinotage, Shiraz and Malbec that reflect the rich diversity of the estate, Diemersdal traditionally uses open fermentation tanks to bring out the natural flavours and smooth the tannins. The barrels are carefully selected for each grape variety.

For the white wines, especially the Sauvignon Blanc for which Diemersdal is famous, a new, state-of-the-art wine cellar is used. Only minimal interventions are made to preserve the character of the grape varieties. 

 

Diemersdal produces wines ranging from fresh, young Sauvignon Blancs to top wines such as the 8 Rows Sauvignon Blanc. Pinotage, Merlot and Shiraz are available as successful entry-level wines through to the 5-star award-winning Pinotage Reserve or the delicious Malbec.