It was Dutch explorer Pieter Cruythoff who stumbled upon the Riebeek Valley in 1661. Impressed by the single standing mountain, he called it Kasteelberg (“Castle Mountain”) commemorating the Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town, the fortress of Commander Jan van Riebeeck. The twin towns, Riebeek Kasteel and Riebeek West, established at the foot of Kasteelberg, are therefore also suitably named after Van Riebeek. 27 years later, the French Huguenots arrived at the Cape, after fleeing persecution. They deemed the terroir more than suitable for the continuation of their esteemed winemaking legacy. Winemaker's Notes