Rust en Vrede Wine Estate

Since 1694 Rust en Vrede has stood peacefully among the vineyards of Stellenbosch. Through centuries there were periods when wine was produced, but since the seventies, my family has specialized in producing only red wine with the focus on planting and tendering to just three varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot.

Many accolades have been bestowed upon the Estate and some of the more memorable were when Rust en Vrede was chosen by President Nelson Mandela to be served at the Nobel Peace Prize dinner, hosting the Queen of Denmark for a lunch with my family at the Manor House and when Rust en Vrede was nominated as the first South African red wine in the Top 100 Wines of the World. This honour was repeated for four consecutive years and has since been repeated twice. In 2009 our winemaker, Coenie Snyman was named winemaker of the Year. Also, in 2009, the Rust en Vrede Restaurant was named as one of the Top 100 Restaurants in the world, making it an unprecedented achievement for an estate to have both their wine and their restaurant named in the Top 100 of the world. In 2010 Rust en Vrede Restaurant won all three categories at the Annual Restaurant Awards Ceremony, namely: Best Service Award, Best Restaurant Award and Best Chef Award. A further honour for us, Rust en Vrede was the recipient of the International Best of Wine Tourism Award for 2010 in Bordeaux, France.

To me, Rust en Vrede is very special; it being the place where I grew up and still live today. Accolades such as these are not achieved by one’s own doing. I thank my parents and colleagues who have always been willing to go the extra mile, and our patrons without whom these remarkable feats and achievements would not have been possible. Today Rust en Vrede continues to be a fine example of what Stellenbosch is all about and we will strive to be a driving force in promoting our wines, our appellation and ultimately our country.

Regards
Jean Engelbrecht