- Other products of Kanonkop | The name Kanonkop is derived
from a kopje (hillock), from
which a cannon was fired in the
17th Century, to alert farmers
in outlying areas that sailing
ships plying the waters
between Europe and the Far
East had entered Table Bay for
a stopover at Cape Town.
They would then load their
wagons, span their oxen and
set off to Cape Town to barter
their produce, mainly fresh
fruit and vegetables, to the
sailors and travellers who had
spent many months at
sea.
Kanonkop is a fourth
generation family estate, which
was originally purchased by JW
Sauer, a cabinet member in
the parliament of the Union of
South Africa. His son Paul
Oliver Sauer, also a cabinet
minister, took over the reins
from his father and in 1968
was joined by Springbok rugby
great Jan “Boland”
Coetzee.
Mary Sauer, daughter of Paul
Sauer, inherited the Estate.
She married Jannie Krige, a
rugby administrator at the
University of Stellenbosch, who
took early retirement and
together with Coetzee made
the first estate bottled wines in
1973.
Beyers Truter joined the estate
in 1980 with the departure of
Coetzee, and together with
Johann and Paul, sons of Mary
and Jannie, continued the
traditions developed on this
highly prized estate. More
recently Beeslaar, who joined
the team in 2002, has taken
over from Beyers and
continues the good work
passed down from generation
to generation. |