On 6 February Groot Constantia will host the 2020 Wine Harvest Commemoration and 1659 Medal of Honour awarding ceremony at its historic Estate.

Held in honour of the first Cape wine harvest, which took place in February 1659, the Wine Harvest Commemoration is an industry staple and exciting time for farms throughout the region.

The Wine Harvest Commemoration is open to all wine lovers and tickets to this strictly black-tie event are selling fast. The Commemoration promises ticket holders a magical night with wine industry leaders, icons and stalwarts from across the country – with a gourmet dinner from Simon’s Restaurant, a range of Groot Constantia award-winning wines and world-class entertainment

The 1659 Medal of Honour has been awarded at Groot Constantia since 1974 in order to mark the beginning of harvest season and to recognise people or institutions that have made a lasting impact on the wine industry and serve as its ambassadors. Previous recipients of the 1659 Medal of Honour include Prof Piet Goussard, the Unsung Wine Workers, Charles Back, Danie de Wet, Norma Ratcliffe, Jan Scannell, Dave Hughes, Spatz Sperling, Lourens Jonker and Nelson Mandela.

Wine lovers who aren’t able to attend the commemoration are still welcome to visit Groot Constantia in the coming weeks to catch a glimpse of the preparations for this year’s harvest as well as experience extensive tours of the estate. Visitors are encouraged to try the audio-guided Museum Tour, Cellar Tour and Vineyard Tour which are available for download through the free VoiceMap mobile app for iPhones and Android devices. VoiceMap is a proudly Cape Town developed storytelling app for sightseers that uses your location to play audio automatically and includes offline maps and GPS autoplay. Just put on your earphones and you’re ready to explore. And of course, no visit to Groot Constantia would be complete without the tantalising wine tastings and pairings, and delicious dishes at the estate’s restaurants, Jonkershuis and Simon’s.

The name Constantia is derived from the Latin word for constancy or steadfastness, and there is no better way to describe Groot Constantia’s vineyards. Groot Constantia is South Africa’s oldest wine-producing farm and this year will be the estate’s 335th uninterrupted year of production. Over the centuries, Groot Constantia wines have grown in popularity and been applauded for their quality across the world – having collectively won over 100 gold awards in the past decade alone.

Groot Constantia is excited by the upcoming harvest season and looks forward to celebrating it with the rest of the industry.

Special Note

The Wine Harvest Commemoration is made possible with the financial support and partnership of Groot Constantia Estate, Die Burger, Standard Bank, Vinpro and the TOPS at SPAR Wine Show. Agri-Expo is the organiser.

Tickets for this strictly black-tie event can be booked at R800 per person. Table bookings for eight to 10 people are also available. Contact Razelle Galant at 021 975 4440 or razelle@agriexpo.co.za to make your reservation.