Oak Valley Wine Estate
In 1898 Oak Valley Estate was founded by Sir Antonie Viljoen, a medical doctor who graduated from Edinburgh University in Scotland. Sir Antonie was also a Senator in the Cape Parliament and he was knighted in 1916 for his efforts in bringing the Boer and the Brit together in the bitter aftermath of the Boer War. As a medical officer with the Boer army, Sir Antonie was placed under house arrest on the Oak Valley property for the remainder of the campaign after his capture by the British. And just to add insult to injury his internment on Oak Valley was only granted on condition that he paid for the services of two British soldiers to guard him for the duration of the war!
He was a farmer of note and established the first commercial deciduous fruit orchards in the Elgin valley. This led to the development of the apple industry in Elgin, which is still the economic backbone of the valley. He then went on to plant a substantial area of vineyard for wine grape production. Although the first wine cellar was commissioned in 1908, it was taken out of production in the early 1940's.
He also discovered that he could manufacture charcoal from the black wattle plantations and this became a major source of income for the farm. Fortunately his love of trees was responsible for establishing the large forests of English oaks ? of which there are over 4000 and covering 30 hectares of the farm. The acorns were used for feeding the pigs and were stored under water in large bunkers.
Oak Valley has been nominated as the 9th biodiversity Champion under the SA wine industries Biodiversity and Wine Initiative. This reward is in recognition of the ongoing protection of the priceless botanical heritage. Oak Valley was also the winner of the inaugural 2009 Nedbank Green Awards for Best Environmental Practices within the SA wine industry.
Their prize-winning wines:
- Oak Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2003 (Maiden Vintage)
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Oak Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2005
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Oak Valley Mountain Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2005
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The Oak Valley Blend 2004
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The Oak Valley Blend 2005
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Oak Valley Chardonnay 2006
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Oak Valley Chardonnay 2009
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Oak Valley Pinot Noir 2008
