Jakob's Vineyard - Our Story

Jakob's Vineyards lies against the slopes of the Babylons Toren mountain range, near the beautiful coastal town of Hermanus. The farm has one hectare under Cabernet Sauvignon vines, and focuses on the production of quality wine which expresses its unique cool area terroir.

Owners Andre and Yvonne de Lange founded their winery on the principles of passion, excellence and simplicity, which they strive to convey through their wine offering.

Intrigued by the unique confluence of art and science in the making and appreciation of fine wine, Andre, an attorney by profession, dreamt of making his own wine from an early age. In 2001, while still living in Johannesburg, the couple stumbled upon this small piece of land. It was love at first sight, and Jakob's Vineyards was born. Today they live in Cape Town with their daughters Ilse and Thea.

In choosing a name, they decided on a name that embodied an attachment to the land. The name Jakob associates the Hemel en Aarde with the biblical Jacob's ladder, a link between Heaven and Earth. The name also incorporates the de Lange's family history, as Andre's grandfather was named Jakob.

Location is Key

The vines are planted 350 metres above sea level and not more than 5km from the Walker Bay coast. The soils are shale clay Klapmuts and red granite Oakleaf. The property is situated adjacent to the R320 Hemel en Aarde Road on a beautiful piece of land that exudes a sense of place.

Before planting commenced in 2002, the farm was identified by a French film crew as the prime location for the filming of the acclaimed French art film "Monsieur N" - about the life and time of Napoleon Boneparte on the island of St. Helena. The producer of the film, who first discovered the location, later wrote -

"I had a dream about this place the night before we found it - and there it was - nothing we had imagined and everything we were looking for." 

The Hemel en Aarde area is renowned for world-class wines with pronounced varietal flavours. The wines are complex, yet elegant, allowing for an unique expression of terroir.

From 2010 to the present, Jakob's Vineyards wines are made by winemaker Peter Allan Finlayson.