Oak Valley Estate was founded in 1898 by Sir Antonie Viljoen, a medical doctor who graduated from Edinburgh University in Scotland. Sir Antonie became a Senator in the Cape Parliament and was knighted by King George in 1916 for his efforts to reconcile the Boers and Brits in the bitter aftermath of the Boer War.

Sir Antonie was a farmer extraordinaire and amongst his many farming achievements was the establishment of the first commercial apple orchards in the Elgin Valley. The apple industry remains the economic backbone of the region today.

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Well over a century has passed since the pioneering accomplishments of Sir Antonie and today Oak Valley lies in the heart of the Elgin Valley, renowned for its apples and pears, its greenhouse cut-flowers, and, for the production of its outstanding cool climate wines.

WINES

Fountain of Youth

Along the lower foothills of the Groenlandberg Mountain, Sir Antonie Viljoen, the founder of Oak Valley, discovered a crystal clear fresh water spring. So good was this water that Sir Antonie had it piped over many miles to his home and proclaimed it the Fountain of Youth.

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Stone & Steel

During 1898, the year in which Sir Antonie Viljoen purchased Oak Valley, plans were underway to build a pioneering railway from Sir Lowry’s Pass to Caledon. Elgin existed in isolation until the track opened in 1902. The line was chiselled out of solid rock to conquer Sir Lowry’s Pass, the steepest gradient in the country. And so this solid steel on quarried stone would inspire an era of prosperity in Elgin. The era of Stone & Steel.

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Beneath the Clouds

The South-Easter, known locally as the Cape Doctor, is our prevailing wind in summer. In Elgin, the Cape Doctor blows cold sea air over the vineyards and blankets the valley under cloud. These clouds lower our daytime temperatures and slow the ripening of our chardonnay grapes, leading to better flavour development. Herein lies the magic of Beneath the Clouds.

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Sound of Silence 

High on the southern slopes of the Groenland Mountains lies an isolated vineyard exposed to the elements of our cold climate. Wind whistles through the neighbouring fynbos, the only sound that breaks this eerie silence at altitude. Our Pinot Noir takes comfort in austerity. It thrives on hardship. And it lives alone in the Sounds of Silence.