Johannes Louw, then a young 22 years old, saw the great potential of the location and the soil and bought the farm in 1982. Today the farm has about 100 hectares of vineyards with Sauvignon Blanc, Pinotage and Cabernet Sauvignon plantings, as well as a small block of Pinot Noir. In 2010 and after many years of producing high quality grapes, the Louw family decided, to start their own wine label. Over the last 10 years the wines have been awarded in several national and international wine competitions. Son Thys joined the farm in 2015, after receiving a business degree from the University of Stellenbosch. He decided to broaden his knowledge on international wine making and Marketing and travelled to St. Emillion in Bordeaux and the Napa Valley in California to learn and experience what other countries are doing. Maastricht wines are a true family affair. Thys’ wife Melanie is looking after the tasting room, the hospitality side and private functions.
Winemaking lies in the blood of the Louw family
Winemaking
The farm is situated amongst the rolling hills of the Durbanville wine valley, with magnificent views towards Cape Town and the Atlantic seaboard. The close proximity to the ocean, literally 10km away, has a major influence in the way that the vines flourish. During the hot summer month, cooling winds help to retain the natural acidity of the fruit, a key element in winemaking. Vice versa in the cold and wet Cape Town winters, the clay rich soils around the Tygerberg work like a sponge and capture water.
All vineyards are managed by the family and their long established team, only they decide what is best. Small handcrafted vineyard parcels are chosen every harvest for their own wines. Selected mainly by the unique characteristics of Durbanville grapes – fruit driven white wines and well balanced red wines.
During harvest time, a watch full eye is kept on the vineyards, to decide when the best time is to pick the grapes. Optimal ripening conditions, knowledge of the land and modern technology work hand in hand to produce outstanding wines.
History
On the 9th of February in 1702, the farm Maastricht was granted to Hendrick Seeger, a Dutch settler that arrived in South Africa with the Dutch East India Shipping company. The farms’ name originated from the first settlers searching for land with the ambition to establish agriculture close to the Cape Colony to supply the Dutch East India Company on their own ward journeys. Looking at the clay rich soils, they were reminded of the land of their hometown – Maastricht – hence the name.
The original farmhouse burnt down in the early 1900’s. According to research, a part of the current farmhouse was built during the 1920’s, but the farm had different owners over the years and everyone added their own touches to the original building.
During the Batavian Republic, Maastricht was used as a meeting place. The line of old oak trees planted by a Dutch monk in the 1700’s, can still be seen today, they were planted as a cross for ceremonies and prayers. During the Napoleon wars, the Cape and especially the Tygerberg region, where an important grain and wheat supplier, as the soils where rich and produced good crops. In a document from the early 19th century, Maastricht was one of the first nine farms to be registered as wine producers. A minimum of 10 000 vines was required in order to be classified as a wine estate.
