Every family has stories steeped in nostalgia and tradition, passed down until they become part of its identity. It is stories that surface naturally around the table - in shared meals, familiar chuckles and the pouring of another glass of wine. They live in birthdays and milestones, in long Sunday lunches and harvest meals that reunite a family after a long day in the cellar. For the Malan family at Simonsig, Kaapse Vonkel has always belonged at that table - not because it was their business, but because it has always brought people together.
As South Africa's first Cap Classique marks its 55th anniversary, Simonsig is celebrating more than simply a milestone. It's a chance to reflect on the family moments, traditions and memories that have shaped Kaapse Vonkel since 1971. For three generations of the Malan family, every bottle has been about far more than exceptional sparkling wine - it has been part of harvest seasons, family celebrations and the joy of gathering around the table with the people who matter most.
For Johan, the pull to follow in his father’s footsteps came from the aroma and taste of harvest, a memory that sparked his fascination as a schoolboy.
“I would walk home during harvest and pass through the pressing cellar. I’d put my schoolcase down, take a glass and fill it with sweet, slightly sparkling fermenting grape juice. That smell and taste hooked me on winemaking before I was even of drinking age.”
Harvest memories are also part of Michael’s childhood, and he now holds the reins.
“My mom would drop us at the gate just after five,” he recalls. “We’d run to the cellar, and you could smell the grapes fermenting from the parking area. Every harvest has its own energy – focused and chaotic, but beautiful.”
He remembers evenings his mother brought supper to the cellar during harvest.
"It was the only chance we really had to see my dad for three months. Today I get to share those evenings with my own boys."
For the Malan family, wine has always been about time together, and the understanding that every vintage is another chapter in a longer narrative.
Those values shaped a defining moment in South African wine. In 1971, Frans Malan introduced a bottle-fermented sparkling wine unlike anything most consumers had experienced before. At a time when sweeter carbonated sparkling wines dominated the market, Kaapse Vonkel offered something entirely different.
“People knew sweet sparkling wines,” Johan remembers. “Kaapse Vonkel was bone dry, bottle fermented and, at R3 a bottle in 1972, the most expensive wine in South Africa. It didn’t fly off the shelves, so the challenge was not only making the wine, but helping consumers understand why it was different.”
They also had to introduce consumers to the traditional method of bottle fermentation, explaining why patience, extended lees ageing and careful craftsmanship created a wine unlike anything South Africans had experienced before.
“Champagne gave people a point of reference, but we wanted them to understand that Kaapse Vonkel was proudly South African.”
With only Chenin Blanc available for the first Cap Classique, Frans believed South African vineyards could still produce authentic, characterful bottle-fermented sparkling wine. His ambition was not to imitate another country, but to discover how the style could express the Cape.
“We discovered over time that Chardonnay is exceptional on Simonsig and has become one of the anchors of our Cap Classique quality,” says Johan. “The critical decisions are made when selecting the base wines. After that, we remain committed to the classic method. There are no shortcuts.”
Michael spent his first harvest in 2018 largely in the vineyards, building relationships with growers.
“Every year we look for another building block for the blend, sourcing fruit from Robertson, Bonnievale, Wellington, Durbanville, Hemel-en-Aarde and Elgin. Each vineyard contributes something different.”
Johan believes perspective has played an important role in that evolution, as he watches the next generation embrace opportunities and technology that did not exist when his father started the journey.
"Travelling to France, Spain, Italy and America is an eye-opener. They don't have our soils, and we don't have theirs. In Kaapse Vonkel you can taste the Cape. You can taste our sunshine."
And for Michael too, the way forward rests in understanding that every generation inherits more than a business.
“You inherit the responsibility. If you wanted pocket money, you worked,” Michael laughs, “so every school holiday I worked somewhere on the farm. There was never pressure to join the family business, but I never looked back, as I learned what previous generations built and I continue to carry the baton for premium quality.”
Today, the Kaapse Vonkel range includes Satin Nectar, Satin Nectar Rose, Brut, Brut Rosé, Cuvee Royale, Satin Royale, each produced using the traditional Cap Classique method while offering a distinctive expression of Simonsig's vineyards and winemaking philosophy.
As South Africa celebrates Cap Classique Day on 1 September, Simonsig invites wine lovers to raise a glass not only to 55 years of Kaapse Vonkel, but also to the families, friendships and shared moments that continue to make every bottle worth celebrating. After all, every bottle begins with a story - and every celebration starts with people around the table.