South Africa » Robertson wines » Robertson » Bon Courage Estate
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Vineyard Language : English |
Located in the heart of the beautiful Robertson valley – a valley of wines and roses – lies Bon Courage Estate, home to some of South Africa’s finest wines and recognized both locally and internationally for their exceptional quality.
The stately Cape Dutch homestead dates back to 1818 and the estate has enjoyed the attention and dedication of three generations of the Bruwer family since 1921.
The Robertson wine region is today renowned for wines of great depth and concentration, a result of the ideal soil and climatic conditions that prevail in this region. Three rivers runs through the estate and have, over the years, deposited a variety of different soil types on the farm. Due to this diversification of soil and microclimates, a wide range of grape varietals can thrive in the same area. André Bruwer – the owner and viticulturist – has acknowledged the basic maxim (truth) that good wine is mainly created in the soil and has, therefore, put much effort into matching the correct cultivar to the ideal soil type.
Although ”tradition” plays a big role at Bon Courage Estate, careful but extensive modernization has allowed André and his son Jacques to combine the best of traditional methods with those of the modern age. This combination allows them greater freedom and flexibility when creating the present and future Bon Courage wines.
Today, André and Jacques combine their experience, skills, patience and personal dedication into producing a selection of the very finest wines.
OUR HISTORY
In the 1920s the farm Goedemoed was acquired by the Dutch Reformed Church. They closed the cellars, rooted out the vines, planted lucerne and fruit and used the farm as a training school for farm managers.
The venture did not prosper and in 1927 the property, already subdivided, was put up for auction. The highest bidder for the largest division was Willie Bruwer, a farmer from the De Hoop area in the foothills of the Langeberg just north of Robertson.
Willie replanted the estate with Steen and Muscadel grapes. The farm was mainly geared for bulk wine production. André, the youngest son of Willie, took over the farm in 1965 and immediately initiated a program of expansion and modernization. Drip irrigation was introduced from the beginning.
Some confusion in the use of the name Goedemoed became inevitable, for there were five other divisions, each under a separate owner. In 1983 the farm was registered as an estate and André renamed it to Bon Courage. From then, only grapes growing on the estate were allowed to be used for bottled wine (Estate Wine) and André started to bottle and market a small selection of wines under the Bon Courage label. From day one his focus was on the premium sector.
Eldest son Jacques, joined the estate in 1990 after finishing his theoretical and practical training. André could now gradually shift his attention more to the vineyards while Jacques focused on vinification and the cellar. Today, Bon Courage benefits from the attention and dedication of a truly complementary and experienced team – of father and son.
From the early 90-ties, focus has been on fine wines under Estate label. Strong emphasis was given to yield control, canopy management and computer monitored irrigation. This has helped to reduce the size of the berries and hence increased fruit intensity.
With it’s diverse soil types and micro-climates a large number of different grape cultivars thrive on the estate. Bon Courage is a prime example of this versatility. “We are very lucky with our position and can grow almost any varietal” says André Bruwer.” Most of our wines have at one stage or another won some awards and the general quality level is high throughout”.
Bon Courage is very much about family. Father André is the viticulturist, Jacques focuses on vinification, younger son Pieter has an accounting degree and looks after the financial side of the farm and daughter Maude runs the very popular lunch restaurant and coffee shop on the estate.
It is true that Bon Courage is blessed with a wide range of high quality wines at very affordable prices. But the ultimate test lies with our customers and we welcome you to come and try our wines for yourselves. We look forward to your visit. |
Vineyard Details
Vineyard Name : Bon Courage Estate
Vineyard Country : South Africa
Vineyard Region : Robertson wines
Vineyard Town : Robertson
Vineyard Owner Name : Andre Bruwer
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