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Our Story

De Krans Wine Cellar is situated along the upper reaches of the picturesque Gamka River Valley near Calitzdorp. The history of the farm dates back to 1890, when it was bought by the Nel family. Since 1985, most of the classic Portuguese port and wine varieties have been planted. De Krans is widely known as one of the leading port-style wine producers, as well as one of the most innovative cellars in South Africa.

De Krans was the first in South Africa to produce a Touriga Nacional as a dry red wine, made the first Pink port-style wine, as well as the first perlé Moscato wine in South Africa. De Krans has recently been awarded for its innovation, winning the Most Innovative Wine Award for the De Krans Espresso at the Michelangelo International Wine Awards.

Google Reviews

"Delicious food, great wine and a beautiful setting! Definitely a must stop."

Jani McNally

"I have been here twice and both times had an amazing lunch under the pergola which makes one feel one is in the vineyard itself. Can highly recommend the pinotage rose and their red blend Twist of Fate - read the story on the bottle!"

Wendy Upcott

"Fantastic Port! We always buy too much but they can courier it."

Annelie Lemmer

"Excellent hidden gem with friendly staff. Lunch was delicious. Enjoyed the hake and chips. Gr8 wines. Worth a visit off the beaten track."

Karin Swanepoel

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Our History

1688

1st Nel (Guillaume N(i)el) came to South Africa with French Huguenots

1757

1st farm in Calitzdorp established, called Buffelsvallei

1890

De Krans farm bought by the Nel family, part of original Buffelsvallei farm

1909

Calitzdorp proclaimed a town

1915

Worst drought in living memory

1930

Giant tornado and hailstorm hits Calitzdorp

1936

1st own grapes planted at De Krans

1937

Calitzdorp gets electricity

1964

De Krans cellar built by Chris & Danie Nel

1973

1st Tinta Barocca grapes planted by Chris Nel at De Krans by a twist of fate, was meant to be Shiraz

1977

1st port produced at De Krans

1979

De Krans becomes an Estate

1981

Big flood, 10 hectares had to be replanted

1981

Chris Nel died, Boets Nel took over as winemaker/manager

1988

Brother Stroebel joins as farm manager/winemaker

1993

Devastating hailstorm hits De Krans

1994

1st Touriga Nacional planted

2000

Biggest flood, 15 hectares had to be replanted

2013

Louis van der Riet joins as winemaker

2018

Worst drought in just more than 100 years

2019

Christoff de Wet becomes De Krans Wines Cellar Master

White Wines

The white wine range consists of classic varietals such as Free Run Chenin Blanc and Wild Ferment Chardonnay (unoaked) with the addition of a wooded Portuguese style white wine Tritonia, a blend of Malvasia Rei and Verdelho. The diversity of the white wine selection and the unique flavours and winemaking methods implemented in the development of these wines are well worth noted.

ROSÉ Wines

The Pinotage Rosé is a balancing act between a fruity character, a drier style of wine making and a refreshing acidity. We believe that Pinotage is the best variety to make a good quality dry rosé from.

Red Wines

Apart from the Basket Press Cabernet Sauvignon, De Krans boasts with an impressive range of dry red wines made from Portuguese varieties. These wines range from single varietals such as the Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz to interesting blends such as A Twist of Fate and our flagship wine, the Tritonia Calitzdorp Blend. These wines, also known as our Terroir range, is the epitome of how climate and soil can come together to create beautiful red wines.

Port-Style & Fortified Wines

Best known for their consistent exceptional quality of their port-style wines, De Krans offers a wide selection of different port-style wines, from the traditional Cape Ruby, Cape Vintage and Cape Tawny to the unique Original Cape Pink (perfect to make cocktails with) and the Original Espresso. The highly-acclaimed flagship port-style wine, the Cape Vintage Reserve, is truly in a class of its own and certainly one not to be missed. Additionally, the De Krans Muscat de Frontignan, also known as Muscadel, is a must have for winter or even summer, when you can serve it chilled.

Moscato Perlé Wines

Moscato has become a very popular wine category all over the world in the past few years. Moscato is made from Muscat de Frontignan grapes with some added Muscat de Frontignan juice to sweeten it. Whilst bottling a small amount of CO2 is added to give it that slight fizz. Combined with a low alcohol of 8.5%, this wine is a must for any event.

The Moscato Perlé range consists of the Premium Moscato White Perlé and the Premium Moscato Red Perlé (where a small percentage of Pinotage is added).