The "Kooperatiewe Wijnbowers Vereniging van Zuid Afrika" was founded in 1918 as the central winegrowers' cooperative in South Africa, 95% of the winegrowers joined. The reason for the foundation was a major crisis in South African viticulture, which was characterised by surplus production and the bankruptcies of many winegrowers. For a long time, the famous professor Abraham Isak Perold (1880-1941) worked for the KWV as a viticulture expert. Until 1992, participation was only possible for white members. Production restrictions and annual minimum prices for fortified wines were set.
In 1940, the government gave the KWV overall control of the wine sector, greatly expanding its agendas. This included the determination of permissible yields, stocking, plant rights and vinification, permission for the planting of new vineyards, the free utilisation of surpluses and (also binding on KWV non-members) the entire trade or export of wine and wine spirits. The tasks were research, vine propagation, marketing campaigns, consulting, professional training, as well as the administration of the "Wine of Origin" appellation system.
In 1992 there was a reorientation, the quota system was abandoned and the regulations were relaxed. In addition, KWV gave up most of the central functions. In 1997, the company was privatised and renamed "KWV International". Today, KWV produces about 25 million bottles of wine annually. The head office is located in the town of Paarl (north of Cape Town). A wide range of excellent wines from around a hundred varieties is produced there, for example the Bordeaux blend "Triptych", the Cape style cuvée "Roodeberg"(Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon), dry white wines as well as Port style wines. The most renowned wine range is "Cathedral Cellar", named after the cellar hall built in 1930. It houses state-of-the-art vinification facilities and 14,000 barrique barrels.
About 10 million bottles of wine are produced annually, a large part of which is exported. The most important export countries are the USA, Great Britain and Germany. The company also remains the largest producer of spirits in the Cape, and owns 60% of the Stellenbosch Farmer's Winery (SFW) as a joint stock company with the Rembrandt group. Since 1995, KWV has been operating the Laborie Estate wine estate, not far from the head office in Paarl. The vineyards cover 35 hectares of vines. Well-known brands are "Pineau de Laborie" (Pinotage) and "La Borie Estate" (Cabernet Sauvignon).
