Rietvallei Wine Estate is a family-owned wine estate and one of the oldest wine farms in Robertson. It is situated in the Klaas Voogds ward, eight kilometers east of Robertson in the Western Cape, South Africa.
 The farm was bought in 1864 by Alewyn Burger for his son Jacobus Francois. Koos Burger then farmed the estate and was 70 years old when he planted a Muscadel vineyard on the farm, today the oldest of its kind in South Africa and celebrating its centenary.
His son, John, received awards for his Muscadel making since he had started making wine, and in 1968 he won a gold medal for the most outstanding wine on the Robertson Show. He made wine until the age of 76 years and was succeeded by his son, Kobus (Johnny’s father).
In 1973, after two years at Elsenburg, Johnny took over from his father and started to make the wine on Rietvallei. His maiden vintage Muscadel was released in 1975, the first time Rietvallei’s wine was bottled.
In 1981 a new wine cellar with cold fermentation capabilities was built and in 1987 the first estate white wine was released, a wooded Chardonnay.
Today the fifth and sixth generations of the Burger family, Johnny and his son Kobus, are actively running the estate. Johnny takes care of the farming side and is in charge of the viticulture while Kobus makes the wine and oversees the marketing of the wines and general management of the business. |
