Rouxvale Chardonnay

Additional Information

Rouxvale’s origin can be traced back to 1761 when the Van Zyl family set out to the Western Cape from the Netherlands. Unlike the other settlers who had established their homes and businesses in the coastal areas, growing food and raising livestock, the Van Zyls to a risk to venture inland. It was as a result that they found the large expanse of land that became their home. In Rouxvale, workers lived onsite in houses provided by the estates. Each worker is allocated a small piece of land for horticulture. For the kids, school and after-school care is provided.

The Rouxvale region in the 1700s was sparsely populated, with white settlers not necessarily welcome. So when settling, the Van Zyls named their estate Goedemoed, loosely translated to ‘good courage’ or ‘courageous’. It was after being recognized by the Dutch East India Company that Goedemoed turned into a prosperous agricultural venture providing good livelihood for the Van Zyls children – eleven at the time.

The land was later divided among the five daughters and six sons, giving them each a holding of their own. The eighth child, Marta Van Zyl, married a man of French Huguenot decent called David Roux in 1791. To give her new husband a landowner status, Martha named her land holding Rouxvale, that is, Roux Valley. They then developed the vineyards and orchards to the estate that it is today.

Rouxvale wines are made using the estate’s fruits and are currently sold all over the world. They work with a fully integrated social sustainability model, providing the workers lodging, growing plots, child support and education, healthcare and ongoing training. Rouxvale has now become more than an employer and is now a community of people working on caring for the land.