Viljoensdrift Wines Adapts To Global Decline While Preserving Generational Legacy And Quality

Viljoensdrift Wines is known not only for its prize-winning wines, but especially for its scenic wine-tasting facility on the banks of the Breede River.

Fred Viljoen is the fifth-generation Viljoen at Viljoensdrift, which he has run with his brother, Manie, since 1998. Fred’s son, Ben, is the sixth generation and farms with Fred and Manie. The seventh generation, Ben’s son, was born in 2024.

But despite Viljoensdrift’s long family history, there’s a hint of uncertainty in Fred’s voice. Viljoensdrift has also felt the pressure on the wine industry due to a drop in global wine consumption and reduced wine sales. It used to supply packaged wine to the Netherlands, but prices fell so drastically that doing business with them became unfeasible. As a result, the cellar now produces packaged wine primarily for cellar-door sales and bulk wine for export.

About 36 ha of the estate is planted with citrus and fresh produce, such as butternut, which provide additional income streams, but their main source of income comes from their vineyards. That means renewing the vineyards and establishing new plantings to maintain quality and volume. Having the right cultivar mix is important. For Viljoensdrift, the varieties are Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinotage, Shiraz and Cinsault. Colombar is the mainstay for bulk wine orders.

Winemaking

Fred inherited the farm from his father, Ben Sr, at a strategic time. Ben mostly sold grapes to the cooperative but kept a small working cellar with the idea of producing his own wines again one day. “I started working here just after Mandela was freed and the world couldn’t get enough of South African wine,” Fred says. “That allowed us to expand the cellar, install more tanks and add modern equipment.”

Viljoensdrift produces a wide range of wines, including Muskapino sparkling rosé, a blend of Muscadel and Pinotage that’s become popular with visitors. “You have to keep innovating and thinking outside the box if you want to sell wine,” Fred says. As part of a premiumisation drive, new labels have been designed for their upcoming vintages. “People no longer buy wine by the box. Instead they pick which wine they want to drink and buy only that. Packaging is becoming increasingly important.”

Down by the river

After completing his military service, Fred wanted to work with nature and while studying nature conservation, he learnt people are naturally drawn to water. “It’s an ancient instinct,” he says. “When it’s holidaytime, people want to go to the seaside or river,” he says. Since the farm extends right up to the banks of the Breede River, Fred decided to open the Viljoensdrift tasting venue in 2000.

The brand home now comprises the tasting room, restaurant and deli, and employs nine people seven days a week. Robertson’s popular wine festivals helped put the destination on people’s radar and the river cruise now draws thousands of visitors a year. The Uncle Ben 2, a custom-made, flat-bottomed barge certified by a naval architect, leisurely ferries passengers six kilometres up and down the river every hour while they enjoy a picnic basket and Viljoensdrift wines. “People have a great experience, take lots of photos and when they leave, they remember the name.”

The river cruise numbers speak for themselves. “When we replaced the boat’s engine – a Yamaha 50 – last August, it had 11 000 hours on it,” Fred says. “That’s a lot of trips. The new engine already clocked hundreds of hours.”

Those hours represent a healthy number of visitors, but the real takeaway is Fred’s love for boat engines. The back of his warehouse houses a workshop where he collects and repairs old Seagull outboard motors as a hobby. In 2010, he launched a website for outboard engine parts which draws enthusiasts from all over the country. Many have fond memories of going out on the water as children and in 2021 Fred launched the annual Breede River Seagull Outboard Regatta.

Exploring Robertson

Viljoensdrift is well placed on the Robertson Wine Route, which includes familiar destinations such as Springfield, Bon Courage, Van Loveren, De Wetshof and Weltevrede. Robertson itself has grown into a destination with unforgettable experiences that showcase its countryside, such as the Montagu Tractor Trip up the Langeberg Mountain, Robertson Wine Walk and New Cape Central Railway’s Robertson steam train.

Visitors, who come from far and wide, are always looking for a place to stay. Fred’s next project is eco-friendly accommodation on the gentle slopes overlooking the river, where seven hectares was recently rezoned for this purpose. “I want it to be a unique experience, with the boat ferrying people across the river and a 4×4 taking them up to a private cottage,” he says. And, of course, the units will all be stocked with Viljoensdrift wines.