Groot Constantia Trail #9: History Pt 4 (1859-1926)
This is the 9th cache of an 11-cache trail which will take you around this beautiful historic vineyard passing by most of its key features along the way.
The cache, a small camo-taped tablet pot, is hidden just off the jeep track in a shady arboreal oasis at the start of the contour across the top of the vineyards. From here and for the remaining 3 caches there are wonderful panoramic views to the east and south across Constantia and the Southern Suburbs to Cape Flats, False Bay and the Hottentot Holland mountains beyond on the skyline.
History Pt 4 (1859-1926)
1859: Disaster strikes in the form of the wine disease Oidium tuckeri commonly known as powdery mildew. Jacob Cloete’s oldest son Hendrik treats the vines with sulphur and partly succeeds in combatting the disease.
Phylloxera is a root louse that attacks the vitis vinifera grapevines, eventually causing their death. A massive infestation took place in Europe and America at the same time, destroying millions of acres of grapevines. During the plague it was discovered that America’s vitis labrusca grapevines were immune to Phylloxera. From that time onwards most vitis vinifera grapevines have been grafted onto ‘vitis labrusca’ roots making them highly resistant.
1860: A 10-year free trade agreement is concluded between Britain and France, under which French wines benefit greatly, to the disadvantage of Cape wine exports, including those of GC.
1866: The vine disease Phylloxera, caused by an insect called Peritymbia vitifolii, ravages the vineyards of the Cape, including those of Groot Constantia.
1867: Silver medals are awarded to GC wine at the Paris Exhibition.
1872: Jacob Cloete is bankrupt and can no longer meet his obligations. He appears in the Cape Supreme Court and was declared insolvent. Jacob left the farm and went to live in Plumstead where he died in 1875. He was buried in the Groot Constantia graveyard. Groot Constantia however was to remain in his estate until 1885.
1874: 2 medals are awarded to Groot Constantia wine in Vienna
1875: Phylloxera must have been a plague to the Cloete’s for a long time, because Henry Cloete left for France to study remedies for the disease, staying there for 10 years. Henry’s son Freddie acts farm manager, and son Jacob manages the estate’s office in Adderley Street, Cape Town.
1876: 2 medals are awarded to Groot Constantia wine in Philadelphia.
1878: A gold medal is awarded to Groot Constantia wine in Paris.
1881: 6 awards are won by Groot Constantia wine in Melbourne.
1885: Henry returns from Europe and decides to sell GC by auction. On the 1 October 1885 the Cape Government becomes the new owner, having bought the farm for a mere £5,275. When compared to the amount of £18,750 paid in 1824, the sad state of the vines on the farm is evident.
1899: The Cape Government uses the farm as an experimental wine farm. A setback occurs when Phylloxera invades once again. The American wild vine stock was used to combat the plague.
1925: Just before Christmas a fire guts the historic farmstead. This probably saved GC because the government was forced to take a fresh look at the estate.
1926: The house is restored under the chairmanship of the architect Franklin Kendall. This will be covered in detail in the remaining 3 cache descriptions.
