Blaauwklippen, South Africa’s oldest wine estate and the country’s oldest registered company, has been named Best Heritage Wine Estate in the Hotel/Hospitality division of the 2025 Global Brand Awards. This year’s prestigious gala ceremony will be held in Dubai’s Grand Hyatt hotel on 13 June, and attended by dozens of the world’s leading business figures.
Blaauwklippen’s inclusion in this award places it in elite company. While over 18,000 companies are considered annually, only a few hundred across 30 categories made the cut globally. Within the Hotel/Hospitality group, only three South African enterprises were represented on the winners’ roster alongside major household names from, among others, the United States, United Kingdom, United Aarab Emirates, Switzerland, Japan, India, and France.
For the award recognising the heritage of an estate, three considerations stand out: steady craftmanship over time, honest roots, and the ability to turn a rich history into an unforgettable visitor experience – all areas where Blaauwklippen continues to excel. Blaauwklippen’s submission rested on centuries of uninterrupted viticulture and significant innovation in the winemaking process, coupled with a visitor programme that effectively bottles South Africa’s love for wine.
“The Cape Winelands has a history of punching above its weight,” says Blaauwklippen CEO Roelof van den Berg. “Tracing its heritage as far back as 1682, Blaauwklippen has been a defining player in the region, helping establish what has become one of the country’s most prized wine-making landscapes. To even be considered for a prize as esteemed as the Global Brand Awards is an incredible triumph, both for Blaauwklippen and for South Africa.”
The Heritage Wine Estate award comes nearly six months after Blaauwklippen took full ownership of its own production, distribution, and marketing operations, following the completion of a fruitful 30-month partnership with Van Loveren. This has helped the estate align with its historical values as it seeks to create a lasting legacy and support the flourishing winemaking economy within the Stellenbosch area.
Some 343 years after its founding, the estate is a local landmark, and handcrafts a dozen signature wines enjoyed across South Africa and abroad, in addition to offering a finely distilled brandy, apéritif, craft gins, and sparkling grape juices.
Recent capital investments have made the estate even more attractive to local visitors and tourists. Among these are a purpose-built pump track and cycling course beside the working vines; a fully equipped Farm Gym that offers weight training, Hiro, and Pilates classes; and Blaauwklippen’s renowned vineyard walk that pairs delicious wines with gourmet chocolate and food options. The estate plans to continue evolving and investing in growth while maintaining its iconic status, with more awards sure to follow.
“This award serves as important validation that we are on the right path as we look to the future of the estate. Being named Best Heritage Wine Estate is an important marker in the road, giving evidence that our course is sound as we seek to strike the right balance between adding modern developments while remaining true to the values that have made Blaauwklippen a leading heritage brand,” concludes van den Berg.