More than a tasting room: The women rewriting Winelands history

The South African Winelands have always known how to perform luxury. We know the imagery by heart: mist rolling off the Stellenbosch mountains, manicured lawns, crisp linen tables, and golden-hour light bouncing off a condensation-heavy glass of Chenin.

It is an image of effortless peace. But for decades, that beauty was built on a landscape of severe imbalance, a world where power, land ownership, and executive legacy belonged almost exclusively to a single demographic.

To visit the Winelands this August, as the country marks Women’s Month, demands a shift in perspective. It requires looking past the polished hospitality teams to see who is actually holding the reins.

When former Miss Universe Zozibini Tunzi-Bolwana took the global stage, she delivered a mandate that re-centred the cultural conversation: "To cement ourselves in place... to teach our young girls to take up space."

In an industry with a long, stubborn history of patriarchal ownership, taking up space is not a metaphor. It is an active, often exhausting act of economic and cultural rewriting.

The historical backdrop of August 9 commemorates the 20,000 women who marched to the Union Buildings in 1956.

Today, that legacy of resistance manifests in the quiet determination of women pushing past the boundaries of the tasting room and stepping directly into the boardrooms and cellars. They are no longer standing at the edge of the frame; they are dictating the entire picture.

Here are five exceptional wine destinations where women are defining the next chapter of South African viticulture.

1. Seven Sisters Vineyards, Stellenbosch

The story of Seven Sisters is fundamentally an archive of resilience. Born out of the Brutus sisters’ lived reality of displacement from their childhood home in Paternoster, the brand grew from an emotional reunion two decades later.

Founder Vivian Kleynhans and her sisters did not merely enter the industry; they carved a home out of it.

Established in 2009, this estate stands as one of the first and few 100% black-women-and-POC-owned wine farms in Stellenbosch. Here, hospitality lacks the rigid elitism often found in the region; it feels like an open invitation to a family table.

• The experience: Long-table lunches paired with highly personal, character-driven wines. Note: Operating entirely by reservation.

2. Aslina Wines, Stellenbosch

Ntsiki Biyela’s journey is firmly woven into South African wine lore.

Growing up in rural KwaZulu-Natal, Biyela had never tasted a single drop of wine before securing a life-changing scholarship to study viticulture and oenology at Stellenbosch University.

In 2004, she broke barriers as the country’s first professional black female winemaker, later launching Aslina Wines in 2017, named in deep reverence to her grandmother.

Drinking an Aslina Cabernet Sauvignon is an exercise in honouring patience. It stands as a physical reminder of what happens when the doors to closed rooms are broken open.

• The experience: Curated, elegant tastings centred around award-winning blends and profound storytelling.

3. Genevieve MCC, Bot River

There is a raw, unpretentious honesty to the Bot River landscape, and Melissa Genevieve Nelsen’s estate fits this terroir perfectly.

Driven by a singular obsession to craft top-tier Méthode Cap Classique, Nelsen hunted down a specific pocket of Chardonnay clones to bring her signature Blanc de Blancs to life. Genevieve MCC is designed for the deliberate slowdown, an antidote to the frantic pace of modern life.

• The experience: Effervescent bubbles, charcuterie platters, and quiet overnight stays at the Klein Botrivier Farm Cottages, surrounded by mountain biking and hiking trails.

4. Marais Family Wines, Rawsonville

At Marais Family Wines, Lizelle Marais inherited far more than an estate; she stepped into a lineage of women who knew how to hold a farm together through crisis.

Taking the mantle of CEO after her husband Kosie’s passing in 2017, Lizelle aggressively expanded the Breëland cellar, redesigned the tasting architecture, and solidified the estate's hospitality profile.

This eight-generation family history is treated not as a museum piece, but as a living, breathing project.

• The experience: A profound digital detox at Buchukloof Cottage, complete with limited cellular reception, a roaring fireplace, and a rugged 4x4 access route.

5. Carmen Stevens Wines, Stellenbosch

If this feature is about occupying space without asking for permission, Carmen Stevens is its north star.

Breaking into the industry upon qualifying in 1995, Stevens established her brand in 2011, making history in 2019 by registering South Africa’s first 100% black-owned winery.

Yet, her lens remains focused on community legacy: her non-profit organisation consistently provides meals to over 25,000 school learners across the Western Cape.

• The experience: Exclusive, private cellar tastings (optimised for groups of 10 or more) booked well in advance.

The woe of the modern woman is often the expectation to perform excellence flawlessly while navigating systems that were never built to accommodate her.