Constantia Glen, the magnificently appointed boutique wine estate on the upper reaches of the Constantiaberg, offers some of the finest wine tasting experiences in the winelands just 20 minutes from the Cape Town city centre. It is in this spectacular setting where winemaker Justin van Wyk has been tasked with creating the signature Constantia Glen wines.
Known for cool climate, Bordeaux-style wines, Constantia Glen is the perfect fit for Justin, who has experienced harvests in St Emilion in the Bordeaux region of France, where his love for this time honoured wine culture took root.
A cum laude graduate in Viticulture and Oenology at Stellenbosch University, Justin works closely with his mentor, Dominique Hebrard, a highly respected Bordeaux winemaker with whom he spent time in the cellar, and whose input as Constantia Glen’s wine consultant is indelible in the style and character of the wines.
“Working with Dominique at Chateaux Trianon and Bellefont-Belcier gave me wonderful insight into the art of winemaking and particularly the importance of the vineyards and precise vineyard practices. I treasure the value of the vineyard and its fruit and enjoy seeing positive results in the final wine when extra effort is put into the vineyard,” says Justin, who also spent time during his formative years in winemaking at PlumpJack and Cade Wineries in Napa Valley, California.
Hailing from the Karoo, this salt-of-the-earth winemaker has been part of the Constantia Glen winemaking teams since 2008. He loves seeing positive results and reaping the rewards of a successful harvest. His winemaking philosophy is to keep things natural and simple, allowing the grapes to do their work.
“Respect the terroir, but also manipulate it in such a way to enhance the quality of the wine. In the cellar everything is done to make the most refined and balanced wine possible; big and bold with good aromatics, but still wines that have elegance and finesse. Constantia Glen produces fantastic white wines that capture the cool-climate essence of Sauvignon Blanc by having a lot of minerality and elegance; really refreshing classic food wines. The farm also has the ability to produce magnificent red wines with the same elegance and freshness, but which have ripe, black fruit flavours and delicious, smooth tannins.”
The secret behind the Constantia Glen reds in particular is the extra 1½ hours of sunlight that spills over the Constantia Saddle when the rest of the Constantia valley is in shadow. These extra sunlight hours allow for optimal tannins and the slow ripening lends to ripe flavours, which are captured perfectly in every Constantia Glen wine.
One of the jewels of the Constantia Wine Valley, Constantia Glen is open daily from 10h00 till 17h00 on week days and from 10h00 till 16h00 on Saturdays and Sundays.
