The Diemersfontein estate has been in the Sonnenberg family since the early 1940s and is today run by David and his wife Sue. The 183 hectare property is situated 70 kilometres north east of Cape Town in Wellington in the Western Cape Winelands. David’s father, Richard, planted the first vines in the 1970s on the alluvial terraces that as well as the granite slopes that are found higher up in the Haweka Mountains. The climate is Mediterranean-like with warm summers and cool breezes coming off the Atlantic to cool the vineyards around harvest time. In 2000, David built the estate’s own winery and head maker Francois Roode has been in charge for the past 16 years. Both the Chenin Blanc and Pinotage are tank fermented with the Pinotage being made in tanks with oak staves to give an extra layer of flavour and complexity.