i. This Is The Farm
i. This Is The Farm
In the year 2000 the small farm of Kleinood was very different from what it is now. Although its inherent natural beauty and charm was always there, it was, sadly, just a run down and neglected little fruit farm in a beautiful valley against a backdrop of majestic mountains and a river running through it.
It stole our hearts.
We decided to give it our best.
Kleinood Farm has just twelve hectares of arable land. Of these, ten hectares are devoted to vines, with the remaining two under olive trees. The rest of the farm is planted with trees, fynbos, roses and vegetables, or left wild.
Over time it has become a personal and highly individual project where no effort was spared in striving to produce a thing of excellence and beauty underpinned with a simple and holistic philosophy dedicated to explore, develop and use the full potential of the farm and human skills in order to produce the best Kleinood is capable of.
“Everything on and about Kleinood is rooted in the history of our family as well as in the Cape and the Boland, because we believe that it is important to belong, to have a heritage and to take care of the things that came before us and that put us here. Naming something is giving it an identity of its own in terms of its origin and the world in which it has to find its way.”
– Gerard & Libby de Villiers
ii. Visitor Information
Kleinood Farm is open
Monday to Saturday
from 10am to 4pm
Open on Public Holidays
Closed every Sunday
iii. What’s In A Name?
kleinood = something small & precious
Kleinood the Afrikaans word from Dutch and German origin translates to something “small and precious”. This is exactly what the farm means to us and precisely what it is – a small farm, very dear to our hearts, specialising in the production of terroir driven wines, predominantly Rhône style Syrah.
The sole insignia depicts a sheep bearing a flag, derived from the official de Villiers family crest. The Agnus Dei or Lamb of God, sometimes referred to as the Paschal lamb, on the De Villiers family coat of arms, refers to Christ as referred to by St. John the Baptist as “The Lamb of God”.
tamboerskloof = valley of the drums
Before moving to the Boland, the de Villiers family lived in this suburb in Cape Town for 25 years. Tamboerskloof is an integral part of the de Villiers family history as well as that of Cape Town and the Boland. Hence, the name of our beloved wines, and ode to where the dream of Kleinood farm began.
die pierewaaiers = the dandies
This is a collection of rare Tamboerskloof wines inspired by the exceptional grapes that cross our path.
All the dandies are made in the Kleinood winery in the Kleinood way, but only occasionally, when the grapes insist, and in very small quantities.
Before release, each bottle is labelled by hand and each cork sealed with wax. Each bottle is nattily dressed in a recycled paper bag and tied at the top with a thinly cut repurposed tyre tube – pretty dandy.
de herder = the shepherd
The one who patiently walks the hills and valleys in search of the best grazing for his flock. Inspired by this sacred and ancient practice, we searched the rugged mountain folds of Stellenbosch for select parcels of vineyard to bring you, our flock, an expressive Rhône blend made on Kleinood Farm.
de boerin = lady farmer
Annetjie Boom was the first innkeeper and restaurateur in the Cape in 1665. She was also the first female landowner – a capable and innovative businesswoman highly respected and well-loved by the community of the Cape of Good Hope. The Kleinood de Boerin was derived from the nickname, Annetjie de Boerin, as she was fondly called.
The image, by Vincent van Gogh, representing de Boerin, is not of a successful and enterprising woman, but that of an unassuming peasant woman working the land, alone against a stark landscape – a humble being quietly going about her daily work. She is not down-trodden or pathetic, but grounded, authentic and unapologetically voluptuous. Her skirts are ample, and her hands firm and able.
de Boerin has been an integral part of Kleinood Farm from the beginning – before the buildings, the wine, the tasting room – she was there when it was just a small patch of land. In a way, everything started with the gardens…
de krant = the newspaper
News & Stories from Kleinood Farm.
de Boerin has been an integral part of Kleinood Farm from the beginning – before the buildings, the wine, the tasting room – she was there when it was just a small patch of land… Autumn was slow in coming…
A short while ago Tom Wark posted an interesting new letter on the Fermentation blog. The title, In Praise of Colonisation, was rather audacious and came as quite a surprise. His opening paragraph, “Imagine a world without Sonoma Coast Pinot…
A peek into winemaker Lawrie Moore's diary, and heart, during his first harvest on Kleinood Farm, along with film photographs from the disposable camera which he carried in his pocket. 30 January 2026 Part I: The Great Viticultural Lie The first rule…
Experience Kleinood Farm with a private guided meander. Then, sit down to savour the fruits of our labour. A moveable feast of storytelling & the making of memories. Open Map Booking essential! This experience takes 3+ hours. It includes a…
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