Groot Constantia: 3,467 Bottles for the King of France

Groot Constantia: 3,467 Bottles for the King of France

In 1685, Governor Simon van der Stel -- who already owned two vineyards in Holland -- chose this valley after mapping the soil of the entire Cape peninsula by hand. A 1782 French National Archives inventory proves Louis XVI had 3,467 bottles of Constantia wine in his Versailles cellar -- more than ALL his Burgundy combined, including Chambertin, Vougeot, and Vosne-Romanee. The Anreith pediment (1791) on the wine cellar -- Ganymede descending on Jove's eagle -- is South Africa's greatest architectural artwork. Behind the cellar, the slave lodge tells the story of the 32+ enslaved people who made the wine. And Mrs. Cloete's ghost still walks at night.