Durbanville Hills

In the late 1990s the Distell forerunner, Distillers Corporation, identified Durbanville as a strategically important cool coastal area whose old-established grower farms had no central premium-quality cellar of their own. Distell brought together seven local grape farmers initially, with two more joining shortly thereafter, in a joint venture to build a brand-new state-of-the-art cellar on land donated by one of the partner farms. Construction completed in time for the 1999 harvest, with founding cellarmaster Martin Moore (formerly senior cellarmaster at KWV and Groot Constantia) overseeing the first vintage. The arrangement was deliberately structured as a shared-risk, shared-reward venture: the partner farms guaranteed the cellar their combined grape crop in return for shareholding in the brand, while Distell brought capital, sales and global distribution. The first wines were released to immediate market success and helped reposition Durbanville from quiet suburban grape supplier to recognised cool-climate wine region in its own right.

• Founded 1998 by Distell and an initial seven local Durbanville grape farmers; grew to nine partner farms by the first vintage
• Cellar built on land donated by one of the partner farms; completed for the 1999 first harvest
• Distell brings capital, sales and global distribution; partner farms guarantee combined fruit supply in return for shareholding
• Founding cellarmaster Martin Moore previously senior cellarmaster at KWV and Groot Constantia

The nine member farms that make up Durbanville Hills all sit within a ten-kilometre radius of the cellar, on the Atlantic-facing slopes and gently rolling Tygerberg Hills around the town of Durbanville. They are Klein Roosboom, Ongegund, Hillcrest, Maastricht, Morgenster, Bloemendal, Hooggelegen, Welbeloond and De Grendel. Several of these properties are themselves cellar-door wineries in their own right, with De Grendel and Hillcrest in particular maintaining busy independent visitor operations alongside their grower role for Durbanville Hills. Others remain pure grape farms that have channeled their entire fruit production into the joint cellar for more than two decades. The combination of family ownership across most of these farms (some for many generations) and a single industrial-scale modern cellar gives Durbanville Hills an unusual hybrid identity: a large branded winery underpinned by what is in essence a closed grower cooperative.

• Nine member farms within a 10-km radius of the cellar: Klein Roosboom, Ongegund, Hillcrest, Maastricht, Morgenster, Bloemendal, Hooggelegen, Welbeloond and De Grendel
• Several partner farms (De Grendel, Hillcrest) maintain their own visitor operations alongside grower commitments
• Most partner farms remain in original family ownership across multiple generations
• Closed-grower model gives Durbanville Hills control over fruit quality while preserving the family-farm character of the valley

Durbanville Hills sits on the Atlantic-facing slopes of the Tygerberg Hills, just twenty minutes north of central Cape Town and within easy reach of Table Bay. The wine ward was awarded Wine of Origin status in 1989 and sits within the broader Cape Town district. The defining climatic feature is the Cape Doctor, the south-easterly summer wind that pushes in off the cold Atlantic and keeps daytime temperatures measurably lower during the ripening months. Morning sea mist regularly creeps in over the hills, further moderating heat. The undulating terrain and varying slope aspects let each partner farm match variety to mesoclimate, with cooler south-facing slopes growing the Sauvignon Blanc that dominates the portfolio, and warmer north-facing slopes producing the rich Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon used in the red wines. Soils are predominantly the deep, red, iron-rich Hutton and Glenrosa types that retain winter moisture well and support healthy dryland viticulture in many blocks.

• Durbanville wine ward Wine of Origin status from 1989; sits within the broader Cape Town wine district
• Cape Doctor south-easterly summer wind off the Atlantic cools the canopy through the ripening months
• Morning sea mist drawn in over the Tygerberg Hills further moderates summer heat
• Cooler south-facing slopes favour Sauvignon Blanc; warmer north-facing slopes carry the Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon for the reds

Durbanville Hills bottles its production across three clearly defined tiers. The everyday Durbanville Hills range covers Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, Shiraz, Pinotage and the value-driven Rhino blend, all aimed at the supermarket and on-trade by-the-glass markets in South Africa and internationally. The Caapmans Vineyard Selection sits in the middle, drawing on specific vineyard blocks across the nine partner farms to highlight individual site character; the Caapmans Red Blend is a notable Bordeaux-style expression. At the top sits Rhinofields, the premium range named for the Renosterveld vegetation and protected indigenous plants of the area, with a Sauvignon Blanc and a flagship red blend that have anchored the brand's premium reputation since the early years. The Maiden Vintage Red Blend, launched as a special-release first vintage on a particular block, demonstrates the cellar's willingness to release single-vineyard premium expressions when fruit quality permits.

• Durbanville Hills range: everyday Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, Shiraz, Pinotage and Rhino blend for international supermarket and on-trade
• Caapmans Vineyard Selection: mid-tier single-vineyard expressions including the Caapmans Red Blend
• Rhinofields: premium range named for the Renosterveld and protected indigenous plants of the Tygerberg Hills
• Maiden Vintage Red Blend: special-release first vintage off a particular block

From its early years Durbanville Hills has run an employee workers' trust that holds a shareholding in the venture, giving cellar workers a direct stake in the brand's commercial success. The cellar financially supports community education, school feeding and skills development programmes for partner-farm workers and their families, in addition to the partner farms' own individual initiatives. The hilltop visitor centre is one of the most popular cellar doors in the Durbanville Wine Valley, with sweeping views across to Table Mountain, Lion's Head and Robben Island; restaurant and tasting room revenue further funds the social programmes. Cellarmaster Martin Moore was widely credited with shaping not only the wine style but also the community-first culture of the cellar from its founding until his death in 2023.

• Employee workers' trust holds shareholding in the venture; cellar supports community education, school feeding and skills development
• Hilltop visitor centre with views across to Table Mountain, Lion's Head and Robben Island
• Restaurant and tasting room revenue helps fund community programmes
• Founding cellarmaster Martin Moore (1998 to 2023) widely credited with the cellar's community-first culture

Durbanville Hills is a high-volume premium brand and its critical position reflects that: it does not chase the same five-star single-vineyard recognitions that flagship neighbours like Diemersdal or Nitida pursue, but the Rhinofields Sauvignon Blanc and Rhinofields Red Blend have consistently scored well in Platter's, the International Wine Challenge and Decanter World Wine Awards over the years. The Caapmans Vineyard Selection range has helped raise the cellar's reputation among Sauvignon Blanc specialists since the mid-2010s. The brand's strength lies in delivering reliable, varietally clean cool-climate Sauvignon Blanc and balanced cool-grown Merlot and Shiraz at price points well below boutique flagships, and in giving the Durbanville Wine Valley its most visible international presence. Durbanville Hills wines are sold in more than thirty countries.

• Rhinofields Sauvignon Blanc and Red Blend consistently scored in Platter's, IWC and Decanter World Wine Awards
• Caapmans Vineyard Selection raised the cellar's reputation among Sauvignon Blanc specialists from the mid-2010s
• Strength lies in clean, reliable cool-climate Sauvignon Blanc and balanced cool-grown red wines at accessible price points
• Distributed in more than thirty countries; the most visible international brand of the Durbanville Wine Valley