Eight generations of Wine Making! It can only be Bosman Wines.

Taryn Allie | 28 March 2023

Winelands is steeped in heritage, tradition, culture and community. It’s one of the first things you happen to notice if you have moved here from another province. This is quite evident in Bosman Wines, a family-owned winery dating back to the late 1700s. Eight generations! That’s +/- 128 ancestors. How many GREAT GREAT GREATs is that? I can’t even…

The winery is led by brothers Petrus and Adriaan Bosman, who continue to uphold the family's tradition of winemaking. The winery produces a range of white, red, and dessert wines, with a focus on sustainability and minimal intervention in the winemaking process. But you can instantly tell the vintner is another level if we go into the genetics of the grapes! One of the unique aspects of Bosman Wines is their use of ancient, rare grape varieties that have been rediscovered and preserved by the estate. These include Chenin Blanc, Muscat de Frontignan, and Honeysuckle, among others. 

I only know about the red, green and that odd purple grape that you find in the supermarkets. Clearly I am not the expert, but luckily someone already got this covered for us. 

The vineyards at Bosman Wines are located on the slopes of the Drakenstein Mountains and benefit from the region's warm, dry climate and well-draining soils. Visitors to Bosman Wines can enjoy a variety of wine tasting experiences, from casual tastings to more formal tours and pairings. Recently they have also expanded their offerings to Hermanus where you can also enjoy a delectable menu at The Frame House.

Of course there is a wine club. You can just go ahead and spoil yourself straight from the underground vinotèque. If the older vintages are not your thing, then you can adjust your selection by easily swapping, skipping or adding cases as you desire. They solve your every wine dilemma! Trust me, it’s Winelands - the way we KUIER there is always a wine dilemma!

But the thing that really gets me in the feels is Bosman Wines' community support. It's hard to find employers that care about their people let alone extend that care to the community around them. One of the key ways they demonstrate this is through their Fairtrade certification, which ensures that their workers are treated fairly and receive fair wages for their labor.

In addition to their Fairtrade certification, Bosman Wines is involved in a variety of other community initiatives. For example, they have established a Trust Fund to provide educational scholarships and bursaries to the children of their workers, helping to break the cycle of poverty and provide opportunities for a brighter future. There is even after care, transport, social clubs and healthcare.

The winery also supports local schools and community organizations through donations and sponsorships. They have partnered with the Paarl Mountain Nature Reserve to help protect and conserve the endangered flora and fauna in the area, and have also established a community garden project to promote sustainable farming practices and provide fresh produce to the local community.

When you see a really cute baby - the round face, the gap tooth grin, those shiny eyes - and you just want to squeeze the cheeks because you have absolutely no control in the presence of this CUTENESS OVERLOAD! Yea, that’s how I feel about all this. A truly remarkable journey across the ages that has culminated into something quite beautiful.