Wine enthusiast Ian Vries inherited a treasure trove when he moved into his new Cape Town home: a cellar stocked with old South African wines.

He found the variation in the condition of the wines surprising and was intrigued, and become determined to understand why not all seemingly age-worthy wines remain in top condition. A number of wine courses later, and after countless hours spent on estate visits, Ian freely admits his hobby “got out of control”. It did not deter him. He is currently in his 3rd year of the Cape Winemasters program and still learning.

His quest impressed on him the depth and particular sophistication of the wines from Western Cape regions – specialty wines and varietal gems that he believes deserve wider appreciation. Vriesenhuijs was founded with this purpose – presenting premium examples of Western Cape regional varietals, to a discerning audience.

The Vriesenhuijs collection is carefully curated to authentically represent grape varieties of wine regions within the Western Cape. In particular, the selection aims to showcase distinctive profiles in style and taste that have become associated with the region as a result of their unique terroir, climate, and established winemaking techniques of the area.

“Experience the joyful exploration of regional gems created from vines grown on the world’s oldest viticultural soils. the magnificent Western Cape.” - Ian Vries, Curator

After close collaboration with regional winemakers, the Vriesenhuijs collection was selected to offer prime examples of the regions’ varietals, and have been added to the curated range under the Vriesenhuijs brand. The collection will be grown to include many more regional treasures.