Kanonkop Winery Guide

EXPLORE ALL OUR RECOMMENDED SOUTH AFRICAN WINERIES

Last updated: April 10, 2024

Winery Overview

This historic wine farm is among the best Pinotage producers in South Africa, celebrated for the longevity, complexity, and class it brings to the country’s signature grape variety. Run with meticulous care by fourth-generation brothers Johann and Paul Krige, Kanonkop boasts an extensive holding of old bush vines, a major factor in Kanonkop’s Pinotage’s remarkable quality, arguably the best example available today in the Western Cape. Indeed, winemaker Abrie Beeslaar has a formidable track record with the variety and has taken Pinotage to new heights since he took over from the legendary Beyers Truter – no easy task!

Kanonkop takes its name from the Afrikaans for Cannon Hill, on which a cannon was fired in the 17th century to alert farmers in outlying areas that sailing ships had entered Table Bay for a stopover at Cape Town. The property has existed as a farm for centuries; however, the first vines were planted in 1910, with the first vintage made in 1941. Then, in 1973, Kanonkop began its modern history as a leading Stellenbosch wine estate. It was originally purchased by JW Sauer, a leading politician in the parliament of the Union of South Africa who fell in love with the farm at first sight. After Sauer died, Kanonkop was handed down from father to son, each successive generation leaving its inimitable mark and raising the quality of the wines to the glorious heights of today. They have also invested in making the winery a cultural attraction, and Kanonkop now proudly hosts a gallery that features art from around 50 leading South African artists.

In recent times, Kanonkop has been riding high on a crest of prosperity, its wines finding adoring fans in markets as diverse as the US, UK, and Australia. The entire range is recommended, particularly the Cabernet Sauvignon and Paul Sauer label, a Bordeaux blend that effortlessly marries strength with elegance and balance. Like the superstar Pinotage produced at Kanonkop, it’s a rich, complex, and age-worthy wine with refined fruit rarely encountered in the Cape. But then, what else do you expect from winemaker Abrie Beeslaar, already a living legend in South African wine.