About us

Groote Post is a historic 18th century farm on the Cape's West Coast where winemaking traditions have been revived by the Pentz family. Unique aspects and cool climatic conditions of the Darling Hills yield superlative fruit. Our wines are produced to reflect the uniqueness of our vineyards.

History

1808 - The Napoleonic Wars were uniting Europe - French troops occupied Rome and Madrid - Russia had conquered Finland and the dreaded Spanish Inquisition had finally been abolished. Beethoven presented to the world his Fifth and Sixth Symphonies and America banned the importation of slaves from Africa.

The year was 1808 and in the Cape Colony of South Africa a building was raised. Hildagonda (Hilda) Duckitt, author of the famous "Hilda's 'Where Is It?' of Recipes" and "Hilda's Diary of Cape Housekeeping", called it a "dear old home". It was the only genuine 'shooting box' of Lord Charles Somerset, Governor of the Cape from 1814 to 1828. The Reverend Latrobe, after a visit in July 1816, wrote that "the house is not large" and referred to the fact that "one of the wings is divided into cells for visitors".

Of all these descriptions, only that of Hilda Duckitt could possibly conjure up in one's mind's eye an accurate picture of the superb 29 room edifice that is Groote Post.

Some 64 kilometres north of Cape Town, close to the hill known as Kapokberg, the land spreads a lush green carpet all the way to the shores of Saldanha Lagoon. In 1808 this was Groene Kloof (now known as Mamre) where many of the vegetables required to supply the fleets of the Dutch East India Company were grown. Here, too, grazing was necessary to support the great herds of cattle and flocks of sheep owned by the Honourable Company.

In those far off days the Hottentots were adept at slipping into the area unobserved and making off with a few choice head of cattle. The cattle raids became more and more frequent until it was decided to establish a system of guards at 'posts' where the animals were most frequently driven for grazing. The biggest and most important of these guard stations was known as 'Groote Post'.

On the 21st February 1803, the Cape was transferred to the Batavian Republic and Commissioner General Abraham de Mist determined to continue farming using the scientific methods which the British had introduced. He established a Board of Commission for Agriculture and granted the members an area of 40 000 morgen around Groote Post. William Duckitt, of Esher in England, who elected to stay on when the British left, was appointed as Agricultural Superintendent.

A small flock of Merino sheep was sent to Groote Post when it arrived from Holland and was later joined by a stud bull, cows imported from England and some horses. With all this development, the committee agreed to build a good, substantial house and outbuildings valued at 61 555 rix dollars. And so the home Groote Post was born.

By this time the British had reoccupied the Cape but they made no changes to the Board of Agriculture and on January 27 and 28, 1815, an agricultural meeting was held at Groote Post where the public was invited to inspect the stock and the agricultural implements.

It had been hoped that this would be the first of many occasions but when Lord Charles Somerset arrived as Governor and accepted the position as Patron of the Board, he promptly made changes which were resented. In his usual forthright manner, Somerset simply dissolved the Board and took direct charge of Groote Post and the surrounding farms.

On his instructions, additions were made to Groote Post but they are believed to have been confined to the outbuildings and were almost certainly stables to house his considerable string of horses.

Lord Charles left the Cape in 1827 never to return. Shortly after his departure, Groote Post was divided into seven farms, the leases of which - all for 17 years - were auctioned.

On January 20, 1836, Phillip Johannes Rens purchased the farm at a public auction for £1 062.10s.0d. and owned it for two years before selling it to a Mrs. J M Hill who resold it the same day to Frederick Duckitt, the second son of the William Duckitt who had come to the Cape in 1800 as Superintendent of Agriculture. Frederick married Hillegonda Johanna Versveld of Classenbosch in the Cape. They had ten children, the sixth of whom was the renowned South African author Hildagonda Duckitt.

In her 'Diary' she writes with great warmth of the 'old home' and of her feeling towards it. She describes how, on a whim, the carpets would be rolled back and, with music supplied by member of the staff or a talented guest, everyone would enjoy an impromptu dance.

To hold a dance with family, friends and guests in one room of a house that Reverend Latrobe described as "not large" may seem uncomfortably cramped until one realises that the worthy gentleman's idea of "not large" included a master bedroom measuring nearly six metres by five!

Some of the rooms may only measure about five meters by three but these are the smallest of the rooms. The kitchen has an oven, half of which can accommodate thirty five loaves of bread at one baking. Another kitchen backs onto the first for the preparation of the meals and many times the house was filled with the rich, warm aroma of seventy loaves baking. The dining room and the living room are wonderfully spacious by any standards.

There are three entrance halls, although only one main entrance is in use today, and the house can boast over 400 panes of window glass.

Yellow wood floors and ceilings are everywhere in superb condition and the many fine fireplaces - relatively rare in Cape Dutch homesteads - are thought to have been installed to cater for the creature comforts of the demanding Lord Charles Somerset. All the buildings, without exception, are in excellent repair.

Groote Post can also lay claim to international horticultural associations through Nemesia Strumosa the seeds of which were sent by Hildagonda Duckitt to an English nursery. This rather straggly flower which grew in profusion in the Groote Post area, developed into one of today's most popular bedding varieties.

Undeniably, Groote Post is a national treasure but it is - first and foremost - what it was created to be - a warm and welcoming home. In it, the past lives side by side with the present and one can relax in the company of many of South Africa's most famous names who knew Groote Post when it (and the country) were still young.

Throughout its long history Groote Post has been associated with the improvement of livestock breeding in South Africa and now it is owned by Peter Pentz's Union Dairy Farms.

Adjoining Groote Post is another farm rich in the history of early South Africa - Klawer Valley. According to the diarist Lichtenstein, who accompanied Commissioner General de Mist on a visit to the farm in 1803, it was "a place made not many years before by Mr Sebastian van Reenen".

On the 25th January 1815 the farm was transferred to William Duckitt who had been sent to the Cape in 1800 by King George III to take up the position of Superintendent of Agriculture and who had such a close association with the adjoining farm, Groote Post.

Duckitt played a major part in the improvement of the agriculture of his time - his greatest contribution being - perhaps - the invention of a new type of plough which broke the earth better than any other plough. Duckitt's revolutionary plough became in great demand and was forged in quantity at Groote Post.

William Duckitt died at Klawer Valley in 1825 and he and his wife are buried there. His descendants owned the farm until 1957 - and today it is owned by Peter Pentz who is proudly continuing the traditions established so many years ago. Today, Groote Post is a flourishing wine farm, producing award winning wines.

Vineyard & Terroir

When Peter and Nick Pentz set out to establish their vineyards, they identified 1000 hectares as potential sites for quality vineyards. However, they eventually settled on the best 140 hectares available and have 107 hectares planted to date. 100 Hectares have been planted to date. Their philosophy has been carried through to the cellar where only the best will be vinified with the remaining grapes being sold off.

Vineyard plantings are all on the south-facing upper slopes of the Kapokberg in the Darling Hills overlooking the icy Atlantic Ocean. Altitudes of the vineyards vary from 200m to 450m above sea level. The prevailing summer south easterly winds keep the vineyards cool throughout the warm summer months. The effect of these cooling winds is amply illustrated by the fact that Groote Post harvest their Sauvignon Blanc 3 to 4 weeks later than they do down in the Darling and Malmesbury areas. Soils are deep with good water retention qualities. No irrigation is used and annual rainfall averages 480mm per annum. Viticultural consultant Johan Pienaar has overseen the vineyard developments.

When the initial plantings were ready for harvesting, they were sold to nearby Darling Cellars, whose cellarmaster, Abé Beukes, always vinified their grapes separately, until the blending stage. The wine exceeded Peter and Nick's expectations and the decision was made to fast-track the construction of a cellar in time for the 1999 harvest. The 300-ton capacity cellar was built in a restored historic fort (guarding post) on the Klawer Valley farm. Their aim is clear - to maximise the potential of their outstanding terroir and produce wines of the highest quality.

At The Winery

Welcome to Hilda's Kitchen

Bookings are essential

Welcome to Groote Post. We appreciate your visit to our oasis on the West Coast and sincerely hope you enjoy your time with us. Our Modern Country cooking only uses the freshest of produce, much locally sourced and grown and the menu is designed to complement the outstanding range of Groote Post wines.
 
Hilda’s Kitchen has become a very popular wedding and functions venue so please contact us to discuss your next special event.
 
The only restaurant in South Africa to be nominated by Eat Out 2013 in both "Best Bistro" and "Best Country-Style" categories in its region. Why not enjoy a lunch before a show at Evita's Peron in Darling on Saturdays or Sundays.

Please note that our menu changes daily.

SAMPLE  MENU

Starters:

    Roast beetroot, goat's cheese salad
    Springbok Carpaccio served with a homemade relish
    Blue cheese and caramelized onion tart

Main course:

    Old Man's steak roll served with garlic crème and hand cut chips
    Penne served with creamy basil pesto sauce
    Slow roast pork belly with plum sauce and noodles
    Lamb paprish

Dessert:

    Buttermilk tart with coconut ice cream
    Flourless chocolate fudge cake with cream
    Meringue with fresh fruit

10% Service charge added to tables of 6 or more
Opening Hours

Bookings are always essential!

Open for lunch only: Wednesday to Sunday (12h00 - 14h00) | Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays

Closed on Christmas day, Day of Goodwill (Boxing Day), New Year's day and Good Friday

Press & Awards

Accolades
2015 IWSC
2013 Groote Post Kapokberg Pinot Noir - Silver
2013 Groote Post Kapokberg Chardonnay - Bronze

2015 GOLD WINE AWARDS
Groote Post The Old Man's Blend Red - Gold
Groote Post The Old Man's Bledn White - Gold

2015 VITIS VINIFERA AWARDS
2013 Groote Post Kapokberg Pinot Noir – Gold
2015 Groote Post Riesling – Gold
2015 Groote Post Sauvignong Blanc – Gold

2015 PLATTER’S SOUTH AFRICAN WINE GUIDE
Groote Post Brut Rose MCC - 3 stars
Groote Post Kapokberg Pinot Noir – 4 stars
Groote Post Kapokberg Sauvignon Blanc - 4½ stars
Groote Post Kapokberg Chardonnay – 4 stars
Groote Post Shiraz - 4½ stars
Groote Post Merlot - 3 stars
Groote Post Sauvignon Blanc - 4 stars
Groote Post Chenin Blanc - 3½ stars
Groote Post Unwooded Chardonnay - 4 stars
Groote Post Riesling - 4 stars
Groote Post Old Man’s White - 4 stars
Groote Post Old Man's Red - 3 stars

2014 VITIS VINIFERA AWARDS
2014 Groote Post Kapokberg Sauvignon Blanc - Gold
2013 Groote Post Shiraz - Gold

2014 OLD MUTUAL TROPHY WINE SHOW
Groote Post Kapokberg Chardonnay 2013 - Bronze
2014 DECANTER WORLD WINE AWARDS
Groote Post Kapokberg Chardonnay 2013 - Bronze