There are ideas that remain just that after a few glasses of wine. In our case, things turned out a little differently. What started as an idea gradually became a plan.
Wine has long been one of the subjects we effortlessly agree on. While that is not always a given in a relationship (feel free to ask us sometime about the correct way to load a dishwasher or the ideal temperature for the house), wine is something we are completely aligned on. For years, we've enjoyed seeking out remarkable wineries, attending surprising tastings, and opening exceptional bottles together.
In November 2025, we found ourselves back in Cape Town. It was a special place for us, exactly fifteen years after we first met there. This time, however, we were no longer travelling as a couple alone. We had two enthusiastic travel companions with us, aged one and four. And as often happens on a holiday in the wine regions around Stellenbosch, the days were filled with stunning views, great food, children discovering playgrounds, and, of course, a glass of wine for us here and there. Or two.
During one of those tastings, Manuel brought up the subject. "Shouldn't we do something more with this?" Now, you should know that Manuel is responsible for roughly 90% of all the wild ideas in our household. So an ambitious plan did not come as a complete surprise. The real surprise was that I didn't immediately dismiss it as ridiculous. In fact, the more we talked about it, the more excited we became. Because at its core, it was actually quite simple: if we were going to do this, we would do it our way.
No thousands of wines. No endless choice and decision fatigue. No bottles you can find in every supermarket. Just special wines that we genuinely enjoy drinking ourselves. Wines from authentic wineries with their own story. Wines you do not come across everywhere.
The Sparkling Wine That Started It All
A few days later, we found ourselves once again at a beautiful winery in Stellenbosch for a tasting, naturally opting for the premium tasting experience. By that point, we had already tasted many impressive wines from both large estates and smaller producers. Yet we were surprised once again.
The first glass poured was a Méthode Cap Classique, South Africa's traditional-method sparkling wine, made using the same process as Champagne. What made it particularly interesting was that it was a Blanc de Noir: a sparkling white wine made from red grapes. And not just any red grapes, but Zinfandel. Zinfandel is known for producing bold, expressive red wines. It is certainly not the grape variety one would expect to be transformed into a refined sparkling wine. In fact, almost nobody does. Blaauwklippen does. As far as we know, they are still the only producer in South Africa making a Cap Classique from Zinfandel. And it was not just unusual. Equally important: it was absolutely delicious.
History and Courage
The winery we were visiting was Blaauwklippen. Not a hidden boutique estate marked by a hand-painted sign along a dusty country road. Quite the opposite. So why did it make such an impression on us? Blaauwklippen was established in 1682, making it the oldest wine estate in Stellenbosch and even the first registered business in South Africa. That fact alone is remarkable. While the Dutch East India Company was still actively trading across the globe, the first vines were already being planted here. Yet what perhaps appealed to us even more than its rich history was its willingness to innovate. It is relatively easy to look back over 350 years and continue doing what has always worked. It is much harder to keep looking ahead.
Blaauwklippen did exactly that when it became the first South African producer to plant Zinfandel. And as if that was not bold enough, they later decided to create a sparkling wine from the same grape. That is precisely the combination we admire: respect for tradition, combined with the courage to do things differently.
Love at First Sip
Surrounded by centuries of history, sprawling vineyards, and a playground where our daughters could happily spend hours, something happened that we did not fully realise at the time. We were not only impressed by the wine itself, but by the complete experience: the story, the heritage, and the quality in the glass. And perhaps that was the moment when Wijnatelier Amsterdam truly began. Not behind a desk or in a spreadsheet, but on a sunny afternoon in Stellenbosch. Two children playing nearby, a glass of Cap Classique in hand, and an idea slowly transforming from a wild plan into something that might actually become reality.
From Wine Country to Webshop
The next challenge, however, was transportation. As romantic as the idea of starting your own wine shop sounds, as a small online retailer you cannot simply drive to Stellenbosch and load a few cases into your car. We quickly discovered that importing wine is a puzzle in itself, involving containers, excise duties, customs formalities, and logistical terminology that almost makes you want to pour another glass of wine. But that challenge became part of the adventure.
Step by step, the puzzle pieces fell into place. And just before our next visit to South Africa's wine regions, the moment finally arrived: in September 2026, our very first shipment reached the Netherlands. With it, we added not only a new chapter to the story of Wijnatelier Amsterdam, but also a new wine country to our collection. It was a special moment. Not just because the wine had successfully made the journey from Stellenbosch to Amsterdam, but because an idea that was once born at a tasting table among the vineyards had suddenly become reality.
A few glasses of wine, one of Manuel's wild ideas, and a healthy dose of enthusiasm turned out to be all the ingredients needed to bring our first South African winery to the Netherlands. And we have a feeling this is only the beginning.