Grangehurst is too small to have any significant vineyards of its own. Therefore, in partnership with John Hill, we bought a 13 hectare farm in 2000 - Sunset Vineyard – and planted 6 hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon in 2002. Another 5 hectares were planted with Pinotage, Shiraz, Mourvèdre, Merlot and Petit Verdot in 2003. All these vines are now in production, and the grapes from Sunset Vineyard – as well as the grapes that we buy in from other prime vineyards in the coastal region of Stellenbosch – are crushed at Grangehurst.

Our winery is situated on the slopes of the Helderberg ("Clear Mountain") mid-way between Stellenbosch and the False Bay coastline. Apart from the magnificent views of our local mountains (Helderberg, Stellenbosch Mountain and Simonsberg) we also enjoy panoramic views of Cape Town, the Table Mountain Range, Cape Point and False Bay. The cool southerly summer winds that blow across this bay have a very beneficial effect on our vineyards.

The vines from which we select our grapes vary in ages from 5 to 17 years. The trellising systems vary from bush vines to 5-wire trellises; and soil conditions also vary considerably – from the sandy, gravely soils of Firgrove and parts of the Helderberg to the deep, high potential yellow-brown Tukulu and red/yellow-brown Oakleaf soils of Sunset Vineyard (Greater Simonsberg).

These variations in soil, climate and vineyard practices provide grapes with a number of different flavours and characteristics that contribute to the complexity and fascination of our wines. The tasting and blending of the wines from the different vineyards is one of the most interesting aspects of our winemaking process.