Originally 11 members and five directors under the chairmanship of Manie Conradie, set the wheels in motion in the Robertson Town Hall, with winemaker Arrie van der Merwe, who was succeeded by the legends Manie Rossouw and Dassie Smith.

 

The original processing volume was 4 000 tons, which grew to a peak of 16 500 with the 1995 harvest and nowadays average 15 000 tons. Of this, 12 500 tons are supplied by the cellar’s own shareholders, while the balance of 2 500 tons is bought in or handled under contract for other parties.

 

The emphasis on quality production has yielded increasing accolades such as Pinotage Top 10 listings in 1997, 2003 and 2013. In 1996 Rooiberg was actually the first producer-cellar to be awarded six double gold medals at the Veritas Awards in one year.

In the following year, Rooiberg started the project of red land art at the cellar premises, created by artist Strijdom van der Merwe from Stellenbosch.

 

The mammoth red chair erected in December 2012 is believed to be the largest in Africa and has become irresistible for picture-taking by the constant stream of visitors to the modern tasting room and the adjacent Bodega de Vinho Restaurant.

The story of Rooiberg’s 50 years is that of a group of wine farms alongside three rivers surrounding the Rooiberg Mountain.

The availability of water and streams with their origin mainly in the Langeberg Mountains, was the original reason for establishing the farms which today form the shareholders’ basis of Rooiberg Winery. With the exception of one, (alongside the Klaas-Voogds River) they are all situated on the Vink River, Upper-Vink – with its tributary the Noree – and the Breede River into which it flows at Goree/Riverside.

 

These geological features means that the production area of the winery’s comprises three demarcated Wine of Origin Wards, – Vinkrivier, Eilandia and Rooiberg. This gives rise to and extraordinary terroir-diversity which is reflected in a wide spectrum of quality wines – always with a value pledge.

 

Historical milestones

 

• 1853, 19 January – Robertson founded as town

• 1964, 14 April – Rooiberg Co-operative Winery Limited founded

• 1964 – Cellar building completed

• 1971 – Rooiberg wins SA Champion Dry White Wine Trophy with Sémillon

• 1975 – First wine bottled under own label

• 1980 – Rooiberg fully handles own label  marketing

• 1982 – Wins Genl Smuts Trophy for SA Champion Young Wine

• 1984 – Wins Genl Smuts Trophy for SA Champion Young Wine

• 1990 – First export under Rooiberg brand

• 1995 – Record crop of 16 500 tons processed

• 1997 – Rooiberg wins Pinotage Top 10 award

• 1999  – New tasting venue completed

• 2003 – Rooiberg wins Pinotage Top 10 award

• 2005 – Founders’ monument by Strijdom van der Merwe erected at cellar

• 2006 –  Joint founding of Rooiberg Breede River Conservancy Corridor

• 2006 – New restaurant opens

• 2008 – ISO certification

• 2011 – HACCP accreditation

• 2012  – Transforms to a company

• 2013  – Rooiberg wins Pinotage Top 10 award

• 2013  – Top 12 Shiraz award

• 2013  – Red chair erected as cellar landmark  

• 2014 – Wieta accreditation of the winery

• 2014, 14 April – Rooiberg celebrates 50 years

• 2014, 1 November – first MCC released to toast 50-years

• 2015 – new look red swatch label for ambassadors range.