Kanonkop Wine Estate

Kanonkop Wine Estate Kanonkop Estate has been described as being the South African equivalent of a First Growth Estate For others, Kanonkop is not just a wine estate.
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To many, Kanonkop is considered to be the South African equivalent of a Premier Cru or First Growth. It is a place of natural beauty where hospitality, family values, tradition, history and interesting characters are as integral to our ability to create magnificent wines as the ancient decomposed granite soils, the cool air from the Atlantic Ocean and the old dryland vineyards. Drink responsibly.

Francois Van Zyl Resigns as Kanonkop WinemakerFrancois Van Zyl has resigned from Kanonkop Wine Estate, the Stellenbosch ...
08/06/2026

Francois Van Zyl Resigns as Kanonkop Winemaker

Francois Van Zyl has resigned from Kanonkop Wine Estate, the Stellenbosch property where he began working in 2022, to pursue his own interests. He was appointed as head winemaker at the end of 2024, succeeding Abrie Beeslaar.

Kanonkop proprietor Johann Krige said Van Zyl had been instrumental in providing continuity to the estate’s cellar team in the wake of Beeslaar’s departure. “Francois was responsible for two vintages at Kanonkop and has embedded himself as a part of Kanonkop’s legacy,” said Krige. “We wish him well in his future endeavours, and hope that his tenure at Kanonkop adds to his reputation as a fine Cape winemaker.”

Van Zyl termed his time at Kanonkop as an honour at having been a part of the winemaking team at one of South Africa’s leading wine estates. “I received the opportunity to join Kanonkop after the estate acquired Laibach Estate in 2022, where I was the incumbent winemaker, and working with Abrie and eventually ending up as winemaker was a true privilege,” said Van Zyl. “This experience made a lasting impression, one which I will carry with me into the next stage of my career.”

Van Zyl’s successor is to be announced in due course.

03/06/2026

The soil, the climate, the mountain.

"We are very blessed with good soil and a good climate; all God-given elements that we can't change," says Michael Malherbe, Viticulturist at Kanonkop. "As humans, I think we can only influence about 20% of the quality."

Across 150 hectares on the lower slopes of the Simonsberg, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinotage grow in decomposed granite soils that are ancient, mineral-rich, and irreplaceable. The remaining 10% is planted to Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, the supporting cast for our estate's Bordeaux-style blend.

But, to share the story of Kanonkop, we start with the Pinotage that runs the deepest in the history of this land. A bush vine that stretches over four generations.

Terroir | How Wine Captures The Memory Of A Place
Watch the full video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/iMQN7btFfLs

On 12 May we celebrated the launch of the 4th Annual Silent Art Auction exhibited in the Kanonkop Art Gallery. It was a ...
14/05/2026

On 12 May we celebrated the launch of the 4th Annual Silent Art Auction exhibited in the Kanonkop Art Gallery. It was a privilege to host the opening night and to see so many familiar and new faces come together in support of the art students of the PJ Olivier Art Centre.

The Silent Auction is open until 18 May 2026. We invite you to come visit our Art Gallery, explore the artworks on display under this year's theme "Still Lives & Spaces", and place your bid before it's too late! All contributions go towards the Art Centre.

We are honoured to continue our partnership with the PJ Olivier Art Centre and to play a small part in nurturing the next generation of artists in Stellenbosch.

As the early winter rains set in, our vineyards enter a period of rest.To protect the soil and prevent erosion, cover cr...
23/04/2026

As the early winter rains set in, our vineyards enter a period of rest.

To protect the soil and prevent erosion, cover crops are planted between the vine rows, a practice aimed at maintaining vineyard health through the colder months.

Kadette Viticulturist, Annelie Viljoen, explains:
“Cover crops help retain soil moisture and limit erosion, particularly on steep slopes. Together with post-harvest fertilisation, they prepare the vineyard for the next growing season in spring.”

This year, triticale (Korog) was planted across most vineyard blocks, with ryegrass used in wetter areas such as the Paul Sauer block.

These vineyard preparations are a key part of maintaining our old vines and ensuring vitality for years to come.

Kanonkop has been placed at #17 on this year’s Top 50 list of The World’s Most Admired Wine Brands by . We have also be...
30/03/2026

Kanonkop has been placed at #17 on this year’s Top 50 list of The World’s Most Admired Wine Brands by . We have also been named the top brand in Africa and the Middle East.

We are honoured to be included among such an illustrious group of wine brands, including Château Pétrus and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti from France, Vega Sicilia from Spain, Antinori from Italy, and Penfolds from Australia.

A heartfelt thank you to our supporters, partners, and wine lovers who make this journey so special, and who continue to contribute to the success of the Kanonkop brand.

Here’s to pursuing excellence, one vintage at a time. 🍷

Please see the full announcement of the Top 50 here: https://lnkd.in/dsykv9nc

Vintage 2026, Week 5Almost done with February, and the end of harvesting Pinotage has finally come.While most of the tea...
28/02/2026

Vintage 2026, Week 5

Almost done with February, and the end of harvesting Pinotage has finally come.

While most of the team is ready to move on to our noble grape varieties, others have been getting in as much Pinotage as they can. Neelsie, a lifelong cellar worker and very precious help, is one such man.

While we were in the thick of “Pars,” bringing in another record-breaking amount of grapes, he was steadily tasting each bin that came in. Although we might have lost a few kilograms to Neelsie’s ardent tasting, at least we know quality control is being handled!

Cheers to the largest part of the harvest being done, and the precious people who make it a success year after year 🍷

Vintage 2026, Week 3After some rainfall on Monday, the Kanonkop team sprang into action with "Pars" on Tuesday, reworkin...
13/02/2026

Vintage 2026, Week 3

After some rainfall on Monday, the Kanonkop team sprang into action with "Pars" on Tuesday, reworking harvest dates and bringing in the new grapes. This has been a bigger week than usual, harvesting approximately 400 tonnes of grapes and setting a new Kanonkop record for grapes brought into the cellar on one day!

You’ll also notice new faces in our team photo. Our three interns Jac, Hugh, and Marco study at Stellenbosch University, and their contributions to the team are important. They are the next generation of winemakers who will help shape the South African wine industry.

Cheers to new frontiers at Kanonkop, and excitement that continues to ferment in the cellar🍷

Vintage 2026, Week 2After two weeks, we are still receiving Pinotage at the cellar, with a bit more Pinotage to come. Am...
06/02/2026

Vintage 2026, Week 2

After two weeks, we are still receiving Pinotage at the cellar, with a bit more Pinotage to come. Among others, we have also brought in some Merlot, and our winemaking team is continuing with "deurdruk" to ensure control throughout open concrete fermentation, even at night.

You might have seen some of these faces on our stories, so let us introduce them formally:

On the left is Cameron Muir, our newest addition to the team. As Assistant Winemaker, this is his first "Pars" at Kanonkop, and since joining in August 2025 he has been learning a lot… even Afrikaans!

Next to Cameron is Christelle van Niekerk, our expert in chemistry and Junior Winemaker. Among her many talents is fishing, which has garnered a strong following of her own on social media.

Next is Francois van Zyl, our Head Winemaker. He is a fountain of wine knowledge and a generous man. His humour and expertise are what make him such a likeable person.

Finally, we have Suzaan Krige, daughter of co-owner Paul Krige, who is also an Assistant Winemaker. Her positivity and light humour make it impossible not to laugh when you are in the cellar.

Cheers to the Kanonkop winemaking team, who warm our hearts with their hard work and delight the palates of many with the wines they produce! 🍷

Vintage 2026, Week 1What a week it has been! Starting with the rush of grapes coming in for both our Kadette wines and o...
30/01/2026

Vintage 2026, Week 1

What a week it has been! Starting with the rush of grapes coming in for both our Kadette wines and our Estate wines. With Pinotage fermenting in our kuipe, we are working around the clock to produce the quality wines we are known for.

The grapes we receive into our cellar are the fruit of our viticulturalists’ labour.

Michael, or Mike as we know him, has spent hours of meticulous preparation during dormancy, pruning, flowering, and set in the vineyards of our estate. These grapes are used for our Estate Range, and the eldest vines are 73 years old, which makes his job of ensuring healthy produce both difficult and rewarding.

Annelie’s daily visits to the Kadette vineyards all year round have ensured quality grapes are grown on the Stellenbosch farms that deliver the fruit used in our Kadette Range. Her passion for the Kadette vineyards have resulted in “Morning Rides with Annelie” as she brings the Kanonkop team into her daily rounds in the area.

Cheers to Mike, Annelie, and their teams, whose steady, consistent work through the season is now showing itself in the fruit of 🍷

Final preparations for Vintage 2026 are complete!The Kanonkop cellar has been cleaned, serviced, and set up to receive t...
24/01/2026

Final preparations for Vintage 2026 are complete!

The Kanonkop cellar has been cleaned, serviced, and set up to receive the first of many red grapes in the next few weeks.

As always, Pinotage will be coming in first, and we expect Block 309 on our Southern-facing slopes to bring in the first load by next week.

The open-top concrete fermenters now enjoy their final days of rest before the big rush of harvest and long hours of "Deurdruk". And so to, are our Cellar- and Winemaking teams. Checking and double-checking equipment as we wait for the harvest call.

We have high expectations for Vintage 2026, attributable to even budding and set, as well as good ripening conditions during the first month of this year.

All guests are welcome during harvest, to enjoy a wine tasting and a self-guided tour. Come and witness the ins-and-outs as we work to deliver another fine vintage.

Address

R44
Stellenbosch
7600

Opening Hours

Monday 09:00 - 17:00
Tuesday 09:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 09:00 - 17:00
Thursday 09:00 - 17:00
Friday 09:00 - 17:00
Saturday 09:00 - 15:00

Telephone

+27 21 884 4656

Website

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