Weingut Almenkerk in der Anbauregion Elgin, Südafrika

With its award-winning wine portfolio, the Almenkerk Winery has established a firm place among the top wines in the South African wine industry.

The history of Almenkerk began in 2002, when the Belgian-Dutch Van Almenkerk family emigrated to South Africa in search of a farm with the perfect terroir. Late into their search, when they had almost decided on farmland in Stellenbosch, a friend of the family gave the decisive advice to extend the search to the area "behind the mountain" and to visit the fruit and wine region of Elgin. Less than a week later, all the papers were signed and the Van Almenkerk family could proudly claim ownership of a farm...an apple farm.

Today the winery has 15 hectares of vineyards (4 hectares of the original apple trees have been kept). The decision as to which grape varieties would be most suitable for this area was in itself a huge project. With the help of renowned consultants and professors, who came together and combined their experiences and expertise gained over a century, as well as infrared and satellite images, together with soil samples and electromagnetic scans of the terroir, varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Mourvedre, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon were planted in the most suitable sections.

This entire project is family run and both the farm and the winery are managed and administered by Joris and Natalie, who themselves consider it an immense privilege and absolute honour.

At Almenkerk, "joie de vivre" is written in capital letters, and the most important part of the company philosophy is the pleasure and enjoyment of everyone involved in the winemaking process. No compromises are made in maintaining high quality standards, Almenkerk believes that the meaning and purpose of the final product would be missed if pleasure and passion were not part of the making process. You can be assured that exactly this joy of life and dedication are to be found in all Almenkerk wines.