Boschendal
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Boschendal (Dutch: wood and dale) is one of the oldest wine estates in South Africa and is located in Franschhoek in South Africa's Western Cape.
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[edit] Huguenot origins
The estate's title deeds are dated 1685, but this is likely to be a clerical mistake since the estate's first owner, Jean de Long, was one of the party of 200 French Huguenot refugees granted land in the Cape of Good Hope by the Dutch East India Company in 1688. In 1715 the farm was acquired by another Huguenot family, the de Villers, and it remained owned by them until 1879.
[edit] Rhodes Fruit Farms and Anglo-American
In 1887 the estate was bought by Cecil Rhodes and formed part of his commercial fruit business, Rhodes Fruit Farms. In the late 1960s the estate was taken over by Anglo-American, before being sold in 2003 to a consortium of international investors.
[edit] The estate
The estate consists of the original Cape Dutch manor house, which is open to visitors, together with associated restaurants and outbuildings. In addition, various parts of the estate have been made available for private purchase by people wishing to build homes in the vineyard.
[edit] The wines
The vineyards at Boschendal cover 254 hectares between Groot Drakenstein and Simonsberg, and include large substantial plantings of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, together with recent plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz. The winery is noted particularly for its white wines.
