LABORIE
Ageless and up-to-date
Paarl, the pearl of the Cape wine industry is 60 kilometres away from Cape Town, and a foundation of French Huguenots. The founder of Laborie - Jean Taillefert- arrived in Paarl as a refugee from France. In 1691, he established the winegrowing estate Laborie and started vinification. And already in 1698 the French naturalist and writer François Leguat noted: "The Huguenot Taillefert manufactures the best wine in the country, not unlikely to premier crus in the Champagne."
At that time, the Champagne was known for its great red wines. And so it is a late honour to this pioneer that now one of the most famous wines from the poster child winery Laborie bears his name: Jean Taillefert. Until 1774 the estate remained family-owned. In 1972, KWV acquired Laborie from the Louw family who had owned it for over a century. Until 2003, KWV had gradually replanted the 39 hectares of vineyards entirely according to modern criteria of vinification. Just a few years after the acquisition, the first new wines were bottled under the label Laborie. The historic Laborie, a true delicacy by its architecture, has been completely restored and now houses apart from the winery, also a guest house and gourmet restaurant - a very popular place for festive weddings. People at Laborie are proud of the long tradition and history; today, internationally recognized wines are produced in a forward-looking manner.