Crafted Over Centuries: The Story of Cape Brandy

'Fire Water' Born of African Soil.

“The Cape Floral Kingdom, within which all #CapeBrandy is produced, is perhaps the most spectacular concentration of plants found anywhere on earth. Such a wealth of biodiversity may well be part of the reason for the way this countries brandies all contain and express a uniquely #southafrican identity with a very special taste of place.“
~ Dave Hughes foreword in #FireWater – SouthAfrican Brandy by Michael Fridjhon

The cape brandy Collective

A product of national heritage, that must be preserved.

Cape Brandy is a proud expression of South Africa’s national heritage — a spirit shaped by time, tradition, and the uniquely diverse terroir of the Cape. Grown in Cape soils and nurtured by the region’s mediterranean climate, the grapes used for Cape Brandy draw character from cool ocean breezes, mountain slopes, and one of the most biodiverse floral kingdoms on Earth. This remarkable provenance lends depth, complexity, and a distinctive sense of place to every drop. Rooted in centuries of viticultural history and refined through generations of potstill distillation, Cape Brandy is more than a drink — it is a cultural emblem, carrying the story of South African craftsmanship from vineyard to barrel to glass.

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THE PARALLEL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICAN CAPE BRANDY & THE BIRTH OF FRENCH COGNAC

The history of South African Cape Brandy runs in parallel to that of French Cognac, with both traditions emerging in the 1600s. In France, the Cognac region along the Charente River became renowned for its double-distilled wine, aged in oak to create a spirit of finesse. By 1640, French merchants were exporting Cognac across Europe, establishing the reputation of this distinctive brandy.

At almost the same time, in 1672, records show that distillation had begun at the Cape of Good Hope. The Dutch East India Company, needing to preserve wine for long sea voyages, encouraged the production of distilled grape spirit. Over time, Cape farmers refined this process, using French and later American oak for maturation, giving Cape Brandy its own depth of flavour.

Both traditions share core principles: carefully selected regional vineyards, copper pot stills, and the transformative role of oak aging. Yet their environments shaped different identities. Cognac developed a reputation for elegance and exclusivity within tightly regulated appellations, while Cape Brandy evolved in a more rugged climate, producing bold, expressive flavours.

Today, Cognac remains France’s benchmark for aged brandy, while Cape Brandy has re-emerged with strict quality standards, reaffirming its heritage as one of the world’s great brandy traditions.

12th–16th Century
THE ERA OF EXPLORATION
The Renaissance

The Renaissance sparked a revival of science, exploration, and craftsmanship across Europe. Trade expanded across seas, and with it, the need to preserve wine for long voyages—encouraging the rise of brandy as a stable, tradable commodity. This period also saw the Dutch perfecting copper stills and introducing double distillation, innovations that would shape brandy production in both France and, later, the Cape.

EARLY 1600's
FRENCH COGNAC IS BORN
Emergence of Cognac in France

Wine was a major export product from Bordeaux and Charente. Distillation began as a way to preserve wine during long sea voyages, primarily by Dutch traders who brought this skill with them from Holland.
Distillers in the Cognac region began using double distillation in copper pot stills (made by the Dutch), improving the spirit’s quality. Oak barrel aging enhanced flavor and longevity.

🍇 1652–1659
VITICULTURE ROOTS
The Birth of Cape Viticulture

Long before Cape Potstill Brandy earned its reputation as a refined, collectible spirit, its roots were quietly taking hold in the fertile soils of the Cape. In 1652, Jan van Riebeeck, tasked with establishing a refreshment station for the Dutch East India Company, planted the very first vineyards at the foot of Table Mountain. Just seven years later, in 1659, the Cape’s first wine was recorded — a modest yet historic moment that marked the beginning of viticulture and subsequent Cape Brandy production in South Africa.

🥃 1672
BRANDEWIJN
The First Cape Brandy

By 1672, a visiting Dutch ship De Pijl’s cook distilled 1,164 L of Cape wine into ~130 L of “brandewijn” creating what is now recognised as the first Cape Brandy. This was done o preserve the wines on their long voyages back to Holland.

🇫🇷 1680s–1700s
FRENCH INFLUENCE
French Influence

As the 18th century unfolded, French Huguenots brought with them deep knowledge of viticulture, establishing estates in Stellenbosch and Franschhoek and setting a new standard for wine—and later, brandy—production.

🏛️ 1800's
A GROWING BRANDY INDUSTRY
Growth of Farm Distillation

By the mid-1800’s, Cape Brandy had earned a solid reputation, often traded or taxed as a valuable farm product.

  • 1886: Phylloxera crisis devastates vineyards; by 1895, Cape brandy output reaches ~1.5 million gallons (~25% of wine output)

1903–1910
COGNAC STYLE
European Expertise

With the devastation of vineyards by phylloxera in the late 1800’s came an opportunity for renewal—and in 1903, a Belgian named René Santhagens arrived in Stellenbosch, bringing with him the Cognac-style techniques that would shape modern Cape brandy.

1909: The Cognac region in France was legally delimited with production regulations defined in 1909. This decree, alongside others in 1936 and 1938, officially established the geographical boundaries and production standards for Cognac, including the six crus. 

1910: René Santhagens opens Oude Molen in Stellenbosch, crafting the first Cognac-style South African brandy.

1924
KWV LEGISLATION
Wine and Spirits Control Act

KWV (Koöperatieve Wijnbouwers Vereniging van Zuid-Afrika) and its significant influence on South African wine and brandy:

Overproduction and lack of quality controls led to a wine industry in crisis. KWV’s goal was to bring structure, regulation, and unity to grape growers and winemakers.

KWV was granted statutory powers by the South African government, essentially functioning like a governing body for the wine industry.

It introduced quotas, set minimum prices, and controlled the distillation of surplus wine into brandy, helping curb oversupply and improve wine and brandy quality.

1936
FRENCH REGULATION
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC)

The Cognac region was formalized with the granting of the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) status in 1936. This designation established strict production regulations and geographic boundaries for Cognac, ensuring its quality and reputation.

1980's–1990's
LEGISLATION
Decline & Rebirth

Yet by the 1980s, globalisation and shifting tastes led to a decline in brandy’s prestige, however the Cape wine industry modernises, attracting international attention.

The brandy category wanes amid global competition and shifting consumer tastes; private distillation resumes.

Winemaking—now free from KWV constraints—shifts toward quality export wine, reducing brandy stockpiling

2015
LEGISLATION
Designated Product of Origin (DPO)

Cape Brandy was officially recognized as a Designated Product of Origin (DPO) in 2015.

To qualify as Cape Brandy, the product must meet strict criteria:

  • 100% pot still brandy

  • Distilled and matured in South Africa

  • Made exclusively from South African wine grapes

  • Aged for a minimum of 3 years in oak casks

This designation was created to distinguish premium, terroir-driven South African brandy —much like Cognac and Armagnac in France.

 

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The Cape Wine & Brandy Region

The Cape Wine region of South Africa is one of the most geologically and climatically diverse viticultural areas in the world, and this unique terroir plays a defining role in the character and quality of Cape Brandy.

Nestled between mountains and two oceans, the region experiences a Mediterranean climate; warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters; which provides ideal growing conditions for a wide range of grape varietals.

The cooling influence of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, combined with diverse soil types, from granite and sandstone to shale and clay, creates nuanced microclimates and allows for the cultivation of grapes with distinctive character, complexity, and natural acidity.

These factors are particularly important for Cape Brandy production, where the quality of the base wine is paramount. Unlike mass-produced brandies that rely on blended or neutral base spirits, Cape Brandy benefits from the use of carefully selected varietals. These grapes are not only well-suited to the Cape’s terroir but also prized for their balance of fruit, acidity, and aromatic potential. Grown in this environment, they yield elegant base wines with purity and concentration, ideal for copper pot distillation and long, careful maturation in oak.

 As a result, Cape Brandy stands apart on the global stage, offering connoisseurs a spirit that is both refined and authentically South African, born from world-class vineyards and shaped by one of the most diverse winegrowing regions on Earth.

“Cape Brandy is quietly building a reputation for finesse and age-worthiness that rivals Cognac.”

~Neil Pendock, South African wine and brandy critic. (Source: Pendock Wine, "The Future of Cape Brandy", 2022)

“As the world turns to provenance and sustainability, Cape Brandy stands ready — it has both in its DNA”

~WOSA (Wines of South Africa) Export Report, 2020