The Dutch East India Company (DEIC) set up a refreshment station at the Cape of Good Hope under the command of Jan van Riebeeck.

1655-56

The first vines were imported from France, the Rhineland and Spain and successfully planted in the Company’s gardens.

1657

The DEIC released 49 officers who became South Africa’s first free burghers. Each was given a small land grant to farm.

1659

The first wine was produced at the Cape. Van Riebeeck wrote in his diary on 02 February: "Today, praise be to god, wine was made for the first time from Cape grapes."

1678

The town of Stellenbosch was established by Governor Simon van der Stel.

1680

Van der Stel planted some 100 000 vines in the Constantia valley.

1688

Some 150 French Huguenots emigrated to the Cape, bringing with them their winemaking skills. They settled mainly in the Franschhoek valley.

1761

Constantia exported wine to Europe. By 1788, the luscious dessert wines of Constantia win acclaim throughout Europe.

1886

The phylloxera disaster destroyed millions of vines at the Cape

Important developments since 1900:

1906

The first co-operative winery, the Drostdy Ko-operatiewe Keller Beperkt, was founded in Tulbagh.

1918

The Ko-operatiewe Wijnbouwers Vereeniging van Zuid-Afrika (KWV) was formed, saving the industry from disaster.

1925

Professor Perold successfully cross-pollinated Pinot Noir with Hermitage (Cinsaut) to develop South Africa's own grape variety, Pinotage.

1927

Georg Canitz of Muratie bottled the first South African Pinot Noir.

1935

Stellenbosch Farmers' Winery (SFW) Limited was founded.

1936

Nederburg wine farm was bought by Johann Graue, a German immigrant who used cold fermentation for making white table wine in the 1950s.

1940

The Wine and Spirit Control Amendment Act was passed to control the minimum price for good wine.

1945

Distillers Corporation was founded.

1950

Gilbeys SA was founded.

1955

The Viticultural and Oenological Research Institute (VORI) was founded. Today it is known as Nietvoorbij.

1959

SFW launched Lieberstein, a semi-sweet table wine which revolutionised wine-drinking habits in South Africa.

1961

The first Pinotage, a 1959 under the Lanzerac label, was marketed.

1964

Lieberstein sales topped 31-million litres, becoming the world's largest selling bottled wine.

1965

SFW, Monis and Nederburg amalgamated.

1968

Distillers built the Bergkelder with its maturation cellars tunnelled into Papegaaiberg in Stellenbosch.

1971

Stellenbosch Wine Route, the first wine route in the country, was founded.

1973

The Wine of Origin legislation was instituted.

1975

The first Auction of Rare Cape Wines was held at Nederburg.

The first South African Zinfandel was marketed by Gilbeys.

1979

The Cape Wine Academy (CWA), the wine industry's general education body, was founded in Stellenbosch by SFW in October.

The restructuring of the Liquor Industry by government sanction took place.

1980

Regulations regarding the residual sugar content of table wine changed - for the first time provision was made for wine exceeding 30g per litre.

1983

The Cape Winemakers' Guild (CWG), an independent association, was formed.

1984

Flavoured wines introduced to the market.

1985

The inaugural CWG wine auction was held.

1990

Changes in the Wine of Origin legislation.

The SA Wines & Spirits Export Association (SAWSEA) was established.

Nelson Mandela was released from prison, impacting strongly on the South African wine industry and its acceptability in the international arena.

1991

First National Bottled Wine Show and inaugural Veritas awards.

1992

The quota system controlled by the KWV was scrapped.

Merger of KWV wine courses with the CWA.

The Méthode Cap Classique Association was formed.

1993

The Port Producers' Association was formed.

1995

The Pinotage Association was formed.

KWV International was founded.

1996

Stellenbosch Vineyards (Pty) Ltd was founded.

1997

KWV Registered as a private company on 01 December.

ARC Infruitec-Nietvoorbij was founded.

1998

The new Liquor Bill, a three-tier system, was approved by parliament.

The CWA was registered in an independent Trust.

1999

The new Liquor Bill was rejected as unconstitutional and referred back to parliament for amendment.

The South African Wine Industry Trust (SAWIT) was established to advance the transformation of the wine industry and promote exports.

Winetech initiated Vision 2020, with its aim to produce detailed strategies for the South African wine industry.

2000

The inaugural Cape Wine 2000, showcasing South African wines, was held.

SAWSEA was renamed Wines of South Africa (WOSA). An independent, non-profit company representing all exporters of South African wines, its aim is to build Brand South Africa internationally.

The Chenin Blanc Association was formed.

SFW and Distillers Corporation merged to form one company, Distell.

2001

The Muscadel Association was formed.

2002

Cape Wine 2002 - a major success for the South African wine industry.

Joint venture between Australia's BRL Hardy and Stellenbosch Vineyards (SV) was announced - a first for the local industry.

The SA Wine Industry Ethical Trading Association (WIETA) was established.

The Shiraz Association was formed.

The KWV split into two separate entities: a commercial company, KWV Limited, and Wijngaard Co-operative, which provides services to and looks after the interests of producers.

White wines were bottled under screwcaps by several South African producers.

The CWA was transferred by Distell to an independent group of management specialists called pointBreak.

The South African Wine and Brandy Company (SAWB) was formed.

The South African Wine and Brandy Company (SAWB) was established, with the aim of implementing the Vision 2020 strategic outline by preparing the Wine Industry Plan.

2003

The Wine Industry Plan was accepted by the Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs as the strategic framework for cooperation and action in the South African wine industry. 

2004

Cape Wine 2004 was held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC); a resounding success, it attracted wine media and buyers from across the country and around the globe.

South Africa celebrated 10 years as a peaceful democracy.

KWV entered into the industry’s largest broad-based Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) deal with the Phetogo Consortium obtaining 25,1% shares.

KWV branded wines available on the local market.

Vinfruco and Stellenbosch Vineyards merged to form a new company, Omnia Wines, one of the largest producers in South Africa .

The pioneering Biodiversity & Wine Initiative (BWI) was initiated to incorporate biodiversity best practices into the SA wine industry.

Aspect, a booklet which offers in-depth information on our diverse wine regions with their unique biodiversity, a result of our complex terroir, was published by WOSA.

2005

The CWA was acquired from pointBreak by a consortium which included a 25% holding by the CWA management with the remaining 75% being made up of an empowerment group and a cross-section of wine industry players.

The world’s first biodiversity wine route, the Green Mountain Eco Route, was established within the Groenlandberg Conservancy.

2006

The biggest ever showcase for SA wines, Cape Wine 2006, was hosted by WOSA at the CTICC, attracting international and national wine media and buyers. This highly successful event featured the world’s first seminar on wine diversity. Some 40% of SA producers signed a pledge to farm in a sustainable, environmentally friendly way with respect for both people and the land, and filled in a diversity survey of what is noteworthy and worth preserving on their lands – these were presented at the seminar.

Omnia Wines with its large and successful brands, which include Kumkani and Arniston Bay, was renamed the company of wine people.

The SA Wine Industry Council (SAWIC), which resulted from the restructuring of the South African Wine & Brandy Company, was launched.

2007

Flagstone was acquired by Constellation, the largest wine company in the world. Winemaker Bruce Jack is now in charge of all Constellation’s South African winemaking, including the Kumala brand.

2008

SAWIC was disbanded.

September's Nedbank Cape Wine 2008, the wine industry's largest ever showcase to the international market, featured over 300 exhibitors and drew some 1 300 visitors. During the trade show, the change in the country's presidency occurred without incident, a positive reflection of the stability and growing maturity of South Africa 's democracy.

The BWI reached its goal of achieving a conservation footprint of 104 511 hectares, 100% equal to the vineyard footprint in the Cape winelands, within three years.

South African wine exports reached a record 400 000 000 litres.

A revised version of Aspect was produced by WOSA.

2009

The anniversary of 350 years of winemaking was celebrated.

Sales of First Cape were up 135% to £90 million in the UK . It overtook Kumala to become the Cape’s biggest selling wine brand and ranked second on the list of fastest-growing wine brands.

KWV Ltd unbundled its indirect shareholding in Distell from its own operations and assets to become KWV Holdings Ltd.

Ithemba, a full-colour book documenting leading examples of socio-economic transformation in the South African wine industry since the advent of democracy 15 years ago, is produced by WOSA. It was funded largely by the Department of Trade and Industry.

WOSA launched DNA SA. This booklet, a toolkit for marketers, represents WOSA's thinking on how to present Brand Wine South Africa.

WOSA’s CEO Su Birch was named The Drinks Business Woman of the Year.

The Drinks Business Ethical Award was presented to WOSA’s project Laduma, funded mainly through the sales of Fundi wines and generous contributions from the Cape Winelands District Municipality.

2010

The total area conserved among all the BWI champions and members is 126 590 hectares, which represents more than 120% of the total vineyard footprint in the Cape winelands.

At the inaugural The Drinks Business Green Awards, which are designed to highlight leadership on environment, sustainability and climate change by drinks companies worldwide, South Africa came up trumps. Dr Paul Cluver of Paul Cluver Wines won the Lifetime Achievement Award, Inge Kotzé of the Biodiversity & Wine Initiative was awarded the Personality Award, while Backsberg walked away with the Sustainability Award. Paul Cluver Wines and Stellar Organics were named runners-up in the Ethical Award category, giving South Africa a notable presence in four of the eight award results.

Sales of South African wines overtook French wines for the first time in the UK wine market. According to figures from market analysts AC Nielsen, South African wine sales grew 20 percent, by volume, to 12,270,000 9L cases, compared to a decline in French wine sales of 12 percent, to 12,266,000 9L cases.

SA introduced the world’s first sustainability seal as a guarantee of eco-friendly production.

WOSA produced a book called Cape Wine Braai Masters in time for the 2010 celebrations.

The WOSA Sommelier World Cup, with 12 countries competing for the title of champion, kicked off in March.

WOSA launched its animated wine soccer video. The industry was gearing up for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ which took place from 11 June to 11 July and was a resounding success.

WOSA also produced a book called Cape Wine Braai Masters in time for the 2010 celebrations.

WOSA conducted its first promotion in Angola.

WOSA produced its first promotional material in Japanese, Korean and Mandarin.

HCI Holdings became the largest shareholder in KWV when it acquired a 33,9% stake for R247,1m from Zeder, the PSG Group’s investment company in the food and beverages sectors.

Durbanville Hills Winery was named winner of the Ethical Award category in the 2011 The Drinks Business Green Awards.

WOSA produced an animated video about the new sustainability seal.

The WOSA Wine Workshop tours, a series of one-day master classes consisting of four seminars in most of its target markets, were introduced.

The Jooste family, who have owned Klein Constantia since 1980, entered into an agreement to sell the historic estate to US citizen Zdenek Bakala and Charles Harman from the UK.

Cape Town was named the Design Capital of the World for the year 2014 and landmark Table Mountain was named one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature.

Su Birch, CEO of WOSA since 2000, was honoured by UK-based wine market research company, Wine Intelligence, as one of the world`s top 10 personalities in wine, for her instrumental role in developing South Africa’s wine-producing reputation.

At The Drinks Business Green Awards 2012 held in London, WOSA won the Generic Sustainability Award of the Year for its work in promoting sustainable practices in the country. Other South African winners included DGB (Pty) (Ethical Award of the Year) and Avondale (Environmental Award of the Year).

The launch in May of a campaign to ensure ethical trading throughout the entire supply chain and the introduction of a seal that only producers who pass the WIETA audit criteria annually are entitled to use were two huge milestones reached in the South African wine industry.