Inspired by the maps of the 15th Century mariners, which have every coastal nuance described and labeled, a group of friends (all enthusiastic wine lovers) decided they were going to embark on an adventure of their own - to make their own wine. Using these ancient maps they sought out a location to plant their vineyards based on their proximity to the sea.

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In July 2001 they found it - a somewhat rundown sheep/wheat farm of about 800ha a few kilometers from the tip of Africa. The adventure of planting and nurturing their own vineyards began. Just four years later the farm has 67ha under vines, a modern winery and has achieved exactly what these modern day adventurers set out to do - they produced their first three vintages of distinctive wines - a First Sighting Sauvignon Blanc, a First Sighting Pinot Noir, a First Sighting Shiraz as well as a Strandveld Sauvignon Blanc, Strandveld Shiraz and a Strandveld Adamastor.

The friends have bottled these wines under the label First Sighting - a label that pays homage to the Portuguese mariner who inspired their quest; Bartholomeu Diaz. On his epic voyage of discovery when he found a sea route to the East via the Cape, Diaz literally had the "first sighting"  of Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of Africa.

Today the farm is known as Strandveld Vineyards, and hosts a premium range called Strandveld, as well as being the home of First Sighting wines. The premium range consist of three reserve wines – Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz and the Adamastor, a unique white blend. The Adamastor is a Greek-type mythological characters as a symbol of the forces of nature, which the Portuguese navigators had to overcome during their discoveries, and became known as the Spirit of the Cape. These wines are carefully chosen and selected to express the unique terroir and to capture the very essence of the Strandveld.

The Winemaker

Conrad Vlok, the winemaker, is an unpretentious, hospitable man. While intelligently able to combine the art and science that is viticulture and wine-making, he is not a man to stand on ceremony.

His eyes twinkle with enthusiasm as he cracks oysters, braais fresh kabeljou and talks about the wines that are Strandveld and First Sighting. "First Sighting is wine for drinking and enjoying. True to its coastal origins, you will find that slow ripening has yielded generous flavours," Conrad enthuses.

"Decisions in the vineyards and in the cellar are all with one idea in mind; creating a versatile wine that will drink well on its own and will also be the perfect accompaniment to the type of food we tend to eat every day.. or for special occasions."

Conrad goes on to describe the Strandveld Wines: "The Strandveld Wines are for the more serious wine lover who wishes to experience a specific part of our Elim Terroir.