Historic winery in the South African wine growing region of Constantia in the Coastal Region (see there the history). Once it was part of the original Constantia farm of Governor Simon van der Stel (1639-1712). After his death, the estate was divided into three parts: Groot Constantia, Klein Constantia and Bergvliet. In 1769 Cornelis Brink acquired 200 acres of the Bergvliet part and gave it its present name. The self-confident name means "exceeding expectations". The winery states 1796 as the year of foundation. After several changes of ownership, it was purchased in 1825 by Ryk Arnoldus Cloete, a member of the long-standing owner family of Groot Constantia.
Today, the estate is owned by a German family who immigrated from Hamburg. It is managed by Lars Maack-Mueller. A restaurant is attached, which is one of the top 10 in South Africa. The winery is only 12 kilometres away from the Atlantic coast. The total estate comprises 147 hectares, the vineyards cover 105 hectares of vines. They are planted with the white wine varieties Sauvignon Blanc (two thirds of the area), Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris and Riesling, as well as the red wine varieties Cabernet Sauvignon (two thirds), Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Malbec(Cot) and Petit Verdot. The premium wines are "Constantia Sauvignon blanc", "Husseys Vlei Sauvignon Blanc" and "Christine"(Bordeaux blend). Around 60,000 bottles of Constantia wines are produced annually, as well as a further 60,000 bottles of grapes outside the area under "Buiten Blanc". This is one of the most successful white wines in the Cape.
