Planted in the granite soils of Stellenbosch more than a century ago, Ember & Oak is the quiet continuation of four generations who believed that great wine is grown, not made.
In 1892, Dutch settler Johannes van der Bijl planted the first vines on the slopes of the Helshoogte Pass. What began as a modest farm has, over four generations, become one of South Africa’s most revered wine estates — guided always by respect for the land and an uncompromising pursuit of excellence.
Johannes van der Bijl establishes the farm and plants the original Cabernet Sauvignon and Chenin Blanc blocks on decomposed granite soils.
A wildfire sweeps the valley. Surviving old-vine blocks give birth to the name “Ember & Oak” — embers that endured, oak barrels that aged the first legendary vintages.
The 1971 Ember & Oak Reserve Red is awarded gold at the Bordeaux Challenge International du Vin — the first South African wine to achieve this honour.
Fourth-generation winemaker Livia van der Bijl continues the legacy with minimal-intervention winemaking and the quiet release of wines that speak only of place and time.
“We do not make the wine. We merely guide it. The vines, the soil, the seasons — they are the authors. Our role is to listen, to wait, and to interfere as little as possible.”
— Livia van der Bijl, Winemaker & Custodian