HISTORY

The French Huguenots landed in the Cape in 1688 at the invitation of the Dutch East India Company. However, the remote valley which they had been allocated for their crop-growing required a perilous mountain crossing over the Helshoogte Pass.

Delaire Graff Estate is situated on the crest of this pass, on the slopes of a crucial peak named Botmaskop. The name refers to the historic use of the peak as a lookout point for ships entering Table Bay harbour. When the sentry would give his signal, the Franshhoek farmers would know to begin carting their produce to the harbour.

Besides their crop-growing skills, these French Settlers also brought with them a sound knowledge of viticulture, the art of wine making – fostering a tradition that has grown from strength to strength through the centuries.

In 1982 John Platter, well known wine writer and maker, bought the farm, then known as Avontuur. Looking at the magnificent view, he decided to rename the farm Delaire Estate, meaning "From the Sky".

In November 2003 Laurence Graff acquired the estate, immediately putting it into a six-year redevelopment programme of being transformed into a leading world-class winery, restaurant, hotel and spa.