2014 has been an historical year for the Lanzerac Wine Estate, marked by the 100-year anniversary of the farm’s name. Christine Lundy highlights some of the key events.

The farm, located in the Jonkershoek Valley on the outskirts of the historical town of Stellenbosch, was originally known as Schoongezicht and dates back to the late 17th century. Like many historical farms in South Africa, the property has been shaped over the years by a line of owners, each making their own contribution to the architecture, farming and hospitality. It acquired its present name when Mrs Elizabeth English (nee Devenish) bought the estate in 1914 after her husband, Frederick Alexander English, a diamond merchant and friend of Cecil John Rhodes, passed away in 1909. As legend has it, she named the Estate after her true love, General Charles Lanzerac, a French Marquis native of Guadeloupe. There are no insights about how they met or the nature of their love story. The General commanded the French Fifth Army at the outbreak of World War I and, despite some disputes with high commanding officers, he has received high awards: the Grand cross of the Légion d’honneur (France) and the Grand cross of the Order of the Crown (Belgium), which can been seen on his portrait exhibited at the Estate alongside Mrs English’s portrait.