Rust en Vrede was established in 1694 by the then Governor of the Cape, Willem Adrian van der Stel. It was originally made up of a larger property but in the early 1700’s was divided into two whereby the original section remained as Rust en Vrede. The first house on the estate was built in 1780 followed by the cellar in 1785. In 1790 the larger manor house was built.

The front gable of this manor house was destroyed in a fire in 1823, hence the rebuild date of 1825 on the front gable. At the end of 1977 the Engelbrecht family took residence on Rust en Vrede. The family and their ancestors have been grape growers since the early 1700’s and by moving to Rust en Vrede, became wine producers for the first time. In 1978 R&V produced its first wines of the modern era. Jannie Engelbrecht made these wines and then appointed Kevin Arnold as cellar master of Rust en Vrede.

In 30 years Rust en Vrede has had only two appointed winemakers, namely; Kevin Arnold and Louis Strydom. In 2007 Coenie Snyman was appointed winemaker responsible for Rust en Vrede but as part of a bigger team. Louis Strydom is still very much involved in the winemaking ventures of the company. The company and the estate is now headed up by Jean Engelbrecht who amongst others is also in partnership with Ernie Els at their co-founded venture called Engelbrecht Els Vineyards. At Rust en Vrede we produce only 20 000 cases of wine per year of which 65% is exported to more than 20 countries around the world.

Milestones

• President Nelson Mandela selected Rust en Vrede to be served at the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize dinner in Oslo, where he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
• In 1994, Rust en Vrede received the South African Export Achievement award from President Mandela.
• During 1996, Rust en Vrede hosted the King and Queen of Denmark at an official lunch in the manor house on the estate.
• The 1998 Rust en Vrede Estate Wine was named the best blended red wine at the World Wine Championships in the United States.
• In 2000, Rust en Vrede became the first South African winery to be named in the prestigious, “Top 100 Wines of the World” by US wine magazine; Wine Spectator. This was followed up in 2001, 2002 and 2003 where the estate again made appearances on the esteemed list. Thus making it four years in succession that this milestone was achieved.

The underground cellar of the estate was the first of its kind for a privately owned South African estate. Designed by renowned architect Mr Gawie Fagan, the perfectly controlled environment is of invaluable benefit to the production and bottle maturation of our unique wines.

Rust en Vrede estate is a remarkable example of exquisite landscaping. At home and abroad, this unassuming Stellenbosch Estate has made a name for itself far beyond its modest, but infinitely charming, 55 hectares.