A solid partnership with nature is the only way to describe the interaction between the soil, the vine and the winemaking skills of Jan Boland Coetzee.

Revered as a former rugby legend, Jan graduated in Oenology at the University of Stellenbosch and started his winemaking career at Kanonkop in 1967. In 1980 he bought the Vriesenhof farm and after releasing his 1981 vintage, spent a season working intensively in Burgundy with the prestigious House of Joseph Drouhin in the vineyards and cellars. On his return, Jan consulted to several of the Cape’s finest cellars lending his specialized and respected knowledge to other winegrowers.

In 1992 a joint venture was established with the owners of Talana Hill, a single vineyard. Today these two farms in the Paradyskloof Valley are being farmed as a unit and together they produce the wines of Vriesenhof, Talana Hill and Paradyskloof.

The first Talana Hill vines were planted in 1983 and yield quality fruit with an intense and unique flavour. Single clones have been selected for this vineyard so that the resultant wines are earthy, complex and uncompromising. These wines demonstrate the fine individual characteristics of their origin and have flavours that evolve gracefully with age.  In the Talana Hill range there is a wooded Chardonnay and a Merlot/Cabernet Franc blend – Talana Hill Royale.

These components, along with Jan’s vast experience and notable dedication, have created some of the most distinct and individually styled wines of the Cape, South Africa.

The three Paradyskloof wines originate from the vineyards of Vriesenhof together with the grapes from neighboring farms. They are intended to be accessible and light-hearted and as such they exceed their expected level of quality by leaps and bounds.

Each of the vineyards that produce grapes for this range are specially selected and monitored throughout the year to maintain the quality of the grapes. Vriesenhof staff handpicks the grapes and transports them to the cellar where they are vinified by Jan. Although they are uncomplicated, fun easy drinking wines, they are treated with immense care and dedication and display the highly individual character of the Stellenbosch district.  The wines in the Paradyskloof range are an un wooded Chardonnay, a Pinotage and a Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend.

The Vriesenhof vineyards with their south facing slopes give Vriesenhof all the advantages needed to produce wines of character and quality. Situated at varying altitudes, they are exposed to the cool coastal breezes from False Bay and their soils consist mostly of decomposed granite and Malmesbury shale.

The hilltop is home to Pinotage bush vines. The rich shale soil enhances the fruity flavours in the Pinotage grapes. Merlot and Cabernet Franc are planted on the sides of the slopes, whereas Pinot Noir is planted very low down on the south facing slopes, where there are less hours of sun.

 The combination of soil, rootstock and clonal selection - plus the understanding of meso and microclimates - are essential ingredients in growing grapes to produce quality wines with different and unique personalities.  This Vriesenhof range consists of a Pinot Noir, first released in 2000, Enthopio (which means indigenous), a Pinotage blend and Kallista - a Bordeaux-style blend.

“The quest for quality is an ongoing passion that requires constant dedication and care.”