Friesland

Friesland: 36 hectares in one corner of Stellenbosch

Friesland Wines is a deliberately small, family-owned producer on roughly 36 hectares in the Bottelary Hills of Stellenbosch. Every bottle that carries the Friesland name starts on this farm — Wine of Origin Stellenbosch certified — before travelling to tables across South Africa and export markets in Europe, Africa, the Caribbean and further afield.

On a Wine Route map crowded with large cellar doors, Friesland is the opposite proposition: limited annual production, a focused premium range, and no walk-in tasting room. The primary public interface is the age-gated online shop at frieslandwines.com; vineyard tastings happen by pre-arranged group or corporate booking.

Dutch name, Steenkamp land

The Friesland name honours a province in the northern Netherlands and the family’s Dutch ancestry — early Steenkamp settlers arrived at the Cape in the late 1600s. The modern wine farm chapter is more recent: the Bottelary property has been in Steenkamp hands since 1999, when Kosie Steenkamp purchased it. After his passing, the next generation runs the business as a close family team:

• De Bruyn Steenkamp — sales and marketing; lawyer by training, Cape Wine Master, international trade-law background
• Marilise Steenkamp — finance and logistics
• Marié Bezuidenhout (De Bruyn’s sister) — winemaking, production, procurement and quality control

That division of labour keeps a 36-hectare estate coherent: one sibling shaping the wines, another moving cases and cashflow, another telling the story and hosting guests.

Bottelary Hills terroir

The Bottelary Hills form a distinctive north-western Stellenbosch landscape of rolling slopes, varied soils and cooling maritime influence. Friesland’s vineyards occupy aspects within that mosaic where elevation and exposure change fruit character from season to season. The family increasingly leans into Stellenbosch’s reputation as red-wine country — Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage and Shiraz are central — while still producing whites that show Cape freshness.

Plantings associated with the farm include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc, plus old bush-vine Chenin Blanc dating to 1981 — a precious older block in an industry that often replants too quickly. Low volume is intentional: work with good fruit, let varieties speak, and only bottle what deserves the Friesland name.

The wine range

The curated collection typically spans about seven premium labels (mix of reds and whites), with a soft spot for Bordeaux-style blends that play to Stellenbosch Cabernet–Merlot strengths — rich, fruit-driven wines with grip and ageing structure. Shop listings in recent seasons have included:

• Friesland Sauvignon Blanc
• Friesland Pinotage
• Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot and Merlot / Cabernet Sauvignon blends (vintage-dependent labelling)
• Shiraz
• Broer & Suster Shiraz / Grenache — a sibling-themed Rhône-leaning blend
• Flagship M-Klas Cabernet Sauvignon — the range’s Cabernet pinnacle, often sold in smaller case packs
• Mixed “Friesland Collection” cases with free-delivery promotions when advertised

Exact prices and vintages change; the shop has run mixed-case free delivery anywhere in South Africa and free shipping above spend thresholds — check the live site. Export placement is part of the pride of a small Stellenbosch hillside farm: bottles from 36 hectares opened thousands of kilometres away still begin on the same slopes.

Visiting: by arrangement only

Friesland does not publish walk-in cellar-door hours. Instead, the team hosts group and corporate tastings in a vineyard venue — historically described as hosted by De Bruyn or Marié for groups on the order of up to about 20–30 people, sometimes including sunset / destination-marketing tasting events. Table Mountain views from the hills are part of the selling point.

How to book: pre-arrange via the contact channels on frieslandwines.com or published wine-industry contacts (emails such as marilise@frieslandwines.com / debruyn@frieslandwines.com and mobile numbers listed on wine.co.za have been used — confirm the current preferred channel). Prices for hosted tastings are not publicly listed as a fixed menu; expect a custom quote.

If you are a couple seeking a spontaneous Saturday tasting, Friesland is the wrong stop — buy online or choose a Bottelary neighbour with published hours. If you are organising a team outing, wine club or small corporate incentive, Friesland’s vineyard setting is precisely the point.

Bottelary / Polkadraai day planning

Friesland clusters with Bottelary and Polkadraai producers on Stellenbosch’s north-west flank. Use it as:

• An appointment anchor for a private tasting between open cellar doors
• A ship-to-home Stellenbosch Cabernet / Pinotage source when you cannot visit
• Context for old-vine Chenin curiosity (ask about the 1981 bush vines when you book)

Combine with nearby Bottelary estates that welcome walk-ins so your day is not entirely appointment-dependent.

Visit tips

• Website / shop: frieslandwines.com (age gate)
• Model: online retail first; tastings by group booking only
• Origin: WO Stellenbosch, Bottelary Hills, ~36 ha
• Family: Steenkamp — De Bruyn, Marilise, Marié
• Ask about M-Klas Cabernet and Broer & Suster when exploring the range
• Confirm tasting capacity, host and fee when you enquire — do not arrive unannounced

FAQ

Can I walk in for a tasting at Friesland?

No public walk-in hours are published. Pre-book group or corporate vineyard tastings.

Is Friesland a large Stellenbosch estate?

No — about 36 hectares with intentionally limited production.

What is M-Klas?

The flagship Cabernet Sauvignon at the top of the Friesland range.

Why the name Friesland?

It honours the Dutch province linked to the Steenkamp family’s Cape settler ancestry.