At a Glance
- Family-run estate blending winemaking, fine dining, and hillside hospitality in Stellenbosch’s wine country.
- Founded by Gary and Kathy Jordan, rooted in craftsmanship, science, and sustainable living.
- Offers vineyard suites, award-winning wines, and seasonal dining led by chef Marthinus Ferreira.
Jordan Wine Estate in Stellenbosch is more than a vineyard; it’s a haven of fine living in South Africa’s wine country.
For over 30 years, this family-run estate has offered handcrafted wines, hillside hospitality, and sweeping views of the Cape’s rolling slopes.
Founded by Gary and Kathy Jordan, the estate blends science, soil, and soul, capturing the true essence of Stellenbosch winemaking.
From luxury suites to seasonal dining, Jordan Wine Estate remains one of South Africa’s most admired wine destinations. Each bottle, each meal, each view reflects a lasting relationship with the land.
A legacy among the vines
Gary and Kathy Jordan founded the estate in 1993, a geologist and an economist who saw promise in both science and soil. They planted each varietal where it belonged, guided more by instinct than fashion, and turned a historic farm into something alive and modern.
Three decades later, the Jordans still walk the rows themselves. Their hands-on care keeps the place real, never showy. Every harvest, every meal, every guest visit carries that same quiet respect for the land and for the people who work it.
Their early wines told the story clearly enough. The barrel-fermented Nine Yards Chardonnay, rich and generous, with long memory, and Cobblers Hill, a Cabernet-Merlot blend built to last. Through the years, their belief has stayed the same: real quality never shouts.
A landscape that shapes everything
Set in the folds of Stellenbosch Kloof, the 164-hectare estate has terrain as varied as the wines themselves. Vineyards rise from 160 to more than 400 meters above sea level, warm inland sun by day, cool sea air by night. The balance is perfect, and it shows in the glass.
The drive in sets the mood: fynbos on both sides, olive trees catching the light, and then the view opens—vineyards falling away toward distant peaks. Fine living here begins long before the first sip.
Suites among the vines
A stay at Jordan feels less like a check-in and more like being invited to slow down. The Luxury and Restaurant Suites overlook vines and still water, pairing Cape Dutch grace with modern ease. Soft light, crisp linens, open-plan baths, and that unmistakable scent of the valley air drifting in.
Mornings bring the ibis call over the hills. Evenings close with the sound of wood crackling and a glass of Chardonnay in hand as dusk folds into the valley.
Dining that speaks for the estate
At the heart of it all is Jordan Restaurant with Marthinus Ferreira. One of South Africa’s most respected chefs leads the kitchen, working with what each season gives. Think Karoo lamb with wild herbs, seafood brushed with Cape spices, desserts matched to the estate’s wines.
For something simpler, the Bakery at Jordan offers wood-fired pizzas and long lunches by the dam, food made to be shared, slow and generous.
Wines that carry the land’s voice
In the cellar, the old and new meet easily. Chenin Blanc takes its depth from granite-rooted vines; Syrah thrives on warmer slopes. Every bottle holds a little of the place it came from. Tastings move gently from bright Rieslings to layered Merlots, a quiet journey through the valley’s rhythm.
A place made for time
There’s no rush here. Walking trails wander through olive groves, picnic baskets find their way under oaks, and sunset tastings by the dam turn into conversations that stretch into the evening.
Over the years, Jordan has become a setting for weddings, anniversaries, and small celebrations, moments made graceful by the backdrop of mountains and calm water.
An enduring retreat
More than thirty years on, Jordan Wine Estate stays true to one idea: beauty is balance. Its vineyards remain a living expression of care; its hospitality, a kind of quiet confidence.
Here, fine living isn’t about display, it’s about belonging. To the land, the wine, and the easy calm that lingers long after the last glass is poured.
