Bellingham

This is a story of courage, determination and unwavering dedication to the land and vines of Bellingham. It is an odyssey richly coloured by the labours of vintners, past and present. Originally known as ‘Bellinchamp’ (pretty fields), Bellingham begins its story in 1693 when Hollander Gerrit Janz van Vuuren and his French Huguenot wife planted the first 1000 vines on the estate. Through ages of farming families, the modern renaissance of the Bellingham Estate in Franschhoek began in the 1943 when Bernard and Fredagh Podlashuk purchased the somewhat dilapidated and derelict farm and began restoring the Manor House, the gardens and the vineyards.

The Podlashuks were true pioneers, and with little farming acumen enlisted the help of 13 Italian prisoners of war, who helped to replant the vineyards. Bernard and Fredagh travelled to France and Germany hungry for knowledge and it was this experience and initiative that inspired the release of the first rosé in the Cape in 1949, their ‘Premier Grand Cru’ was the first dry white blend and an original in its style released in 1951, and the first single varietal Shiraz was bottled at Bellingham in 1956.

The ‘80s and ‘90s saw vineyard developments, cellar extensions and the beginning of Bellingham’s ‘classic-new world’ winemaking philosophy. The new century saw a shift in the Bellingham portfolio and The Maverick range of wines was launched in 2002 – a challenge to convention and custom. Boldly exploring new territories in the fine art of crafting wine, Bellingham has received numerous international awards and acclaim. This generation of Bellingham celebrates the historic momentum that has shaped its wines through time in four chapters that tell the stories behind the gable bound by a golden thread of innovation, ingenuity and foresight.

Great wines begin in the Vineyard. Bellingham has access to fantastic premium sites across the Cape winelands where our viticulturist, Stephan Joubert and our winemaker, Niël Groenewald work together to select the finest origins to create terroir-reflective wines of stature and quality. All varietals are hand pruned and hand harvested ensuring selection of the best berries for our wines.

Bellingham sauvignon blanc comes from the coastal areas of Durbanville and Darling. These regions are selected for their cooling Atlantic Ocean evening breezes and well drained soils with a high clay content, creating the perfect micro climate for the typically fresh and riveting flavours.

Our chardonnay vineyards are situated in Stellenbosch and Darling. Stellenbosch is known for its rich Hutton soils as well as gentle coastal breezes coming from False Bay. These area specific conditions contribute to the pure citrus core typical to our chardonnay. T he deep red soil types in Darling contribute to a full round mouthfeel.

Paarl is well suited for exceptional shiraz from the typically ancient weathered granite and shale soils with exceptional water holding capacity in the vineyards. Unirrigated vineyards are selected in order to ensure a concentrated flavour profile of rich dark fruit.

Our cabernet sauvignon comes from Stellenbosch and Darling. Vines are planted at high altitude in rich Hutton soils of Stellenbosch and the deep red soils of Darling resulting in a flavour profile that is concentrated with a soft tannin structure.

Merlot is grown on south facing slopes high above sea level in the Darling area, where the deep red soils with their great water holding capacity yield grapes with soft tannins. These vines are green harvested before harvest to remove any unripe fruit and to ensure optimal phenolic ripeness.

Low yielding pinotage bush vines in un-irrigated vineyards of Paarl and Stellenbosch with an average age of 30 years yield berries that are small and concentrated for intense colour and flavour.

The Bellingham winemaking approach is one of minimal intervention. Time-honoured methods are combined with measured technological expertise to create great value premium wines true to variety and origin. Time and attention is asserted to every stage of production with a particular emphasis on mouth-feel and preserving the natural fruit character. Subtle barrel maturation that enhances the structure and complexity of our wines without overpowering the inherent varietal ensures vibrancy and broad appeal in both our red and white wines.

The Bernard Series is created in the Bellingham ‘Cellar-in-a Cellar’ where our winemakers are at liberty to experiment and lavish creative flair with fastidious attention on our hand crafted boutique range of super-premium wines.