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Blaauwklippen Wine Estate

Blaauwklippen Wine Estate to develop new boutique accommodation offering

Blaauwklippen Wine Estate, the iconic Stellenbosch estate, will soon break ground for a new boutique accommodation offering.

Newmark Hotels & Reserves will manage the new development project. This follows the signing of a partnership agreement between the Cape Town-based hospitality management company and the historic wine estate outlining that Newmark will manage all accommodation on the farm. This will encompass a total of 34 units, including the new accommodation offering, expected to launch in Q1 2025.

Considered the oldest wine farm in the Stellenbosch region, Blaauwklippen’s history dates back to 1682, when the first Governor of the Cape, Simon van der Stel, allocated to free burgher Gerrit Jansz Visscher. He named the farm after the granite or “blue stones” found on the property. Reports show that they planted the first 1000 vines in 1688 and produced the first leaguer of wine in 1709.

Blaauwklippen today

Today, Blaauwklippen Wine Estate is one of South Africa’s most popular wine farms. Best known as the pioneer of Zinfandel Wines in South Africa, the estate now produces a wide range of premier wines. Guests visiting the estate can sample the wines, enjoy a food pairing, visit the Blaauwklippen Art Gallery, explore the vibrant market held on the estate every weekend, or get their blood pumping at the Bike Park and Pump Track. A new restaurant, De Blaauwe Kitchen, opened earlier this month, serving everything from breakfasts to pizzas, pasta, salads, and grills. Extremely family-friendly, the grounds are also dotted with jungle gyms under the shade of the farm’s ancient oak trees.

Currently in operation on the farm are the 6-key Jonkershuis Guest House and the 4-key Manor House. Both are, of course, heritage buildings in the traditional Cape Dutch style, which dates back to the 1700s. The elegantly furnished rooms have views over the farm’s expansive lawns.

The new development

The new luxury accommodation development will take 18 – 20 months to complete. It will be located next to the Blaauwklippen River, overlooking the estate’s manicured vineyards as well as the magnificent Stellenbosch mountains. It will also seamlessly integrate in style with the existing architecture on the property.

“It is a privilege for Newmark to partner with one of the country’s most established brands. The Cape Winelands is a key South African tourism destination, and we believe that there is strong demand for more upscale accommodation offerings located on the grounds of the magnificent Blaauwklippen Estate.”

CEO of Newmark Hotels & Reserves, Neil Markovitz.

“The new boutique accommodation offerings are planned to be upscale and will complement Newmark’s existing portfolio. This will allow our guests, who are already visiting Cape Town and the greater Kruger Park, to complete the South African tourist circuit with a stay in the heart of the Cape Winelands,” he added.

Chairman of Blaauwklippen Wine Estate, Charl Cronjé, said that expanding the estate’s luxury accommodation offerings would add great value to the Blaauwklippen experience.

“We want guests to be able to spend longer on our beautiful farm, affording them enough time to experience all the extensive offerings. This new partnership will allow us to focus on winemaking, where our expertise lies, while Newmark, the hospitality experts, will perfect and drive the estate’s accommodation offerings,” he added.

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