Originally known as ‘Bellinchamp’ (pretty fields), Bellingham begins its story in 1693 with Hollander Gerrit Janz van Vuuren and his French Huguenot wife, who toiled the virgin soil and planted the first 1000 vines. Centuries later in 1943, pioneer and innovator Bernard Podlashuk, acquired the farm and in 1949,a mere six years later, he produced the first South African Rosé.
There were a couple more firsts for Bellingham with the bottling of the first extra dry white wine in the country in 1951 and the first single varietal Shiraz in 1956. The ‘80s and ‘90s saw vineyard developments, cellar extensions and the beginning of Bellingham’s ‘classic-new world’ winemaking philosophy. The new century saw a shift in the Bellingham portfolio and The Maverick range of wines was launched in 2002 – a challenge to convention and custom. Boldly exploring new territories in the fine art of crafting wine, Bellingham has received numerous international awards and acclaim.
Today, Bellingham continues to take a gracious bow to its future by pushing the boundaries to produce wines of excellence as a salute to the past – and a toast to the future.