After the fire: 'The grande dame of Blaauwklippen will rise again'

Blaauwklippen Wine Estate has vowed to rise from the ashes after a devastating fire at the weekend saw three of its most remarkable buildings burnt to the ground. And while it mourns the loss, it has some positive news too: that its other facilities were unscathed and it is all set to reopen for business. 

“The Tasting House, De Blaauwe Kitchen, Market, bike park and all other activities are set to reopen to the public from Wednesday, 10 April,” it said today via Instagram along with a picture of several staff standing smiling and holding brooms, rakes and other cleaning implements.

Blaauwklippen, one of the oldest wine farms in Stellenbosch, announced on Monday that a fire had broken out on a neighbouring farm on Sunday morning and spread to the estate. Its 304-year-old Jonkershuis; 235-year-old Manor House; and modern Cathedral event venue had all “burned to the ground”.

The fire was fuelled by the lashing winds that wrought havoc across the Western Cape at the weekend. 

“It's a sad day indeed for Blaauwklippen as heritage landmarks have been destroyed in the terrible blaze, but the sadness is made easier to bear by the gratitude that no lives were lost and ... no-one was injured,” the statement added.

While Blaauwklippen was founded in 1682, the Jonkershuis was built in 1720; the Manor House was built in 1789. The Cathedral, a striking, custom-designed glass structure and a popular wedding venue, was built in 2018.

Newmark Hotels, Blaauwklippen’s hospitality management partner, also released a statement praising the “heroic efforts from staff and firefighters”, which saw all guests and staff safely evacuated, with no injuries sustained.

Newmark CEO Neil Markovitz said the destroyed buildings were a “devastating loss not only for [the wine estate] but also for South African heritage.” 

“Both the Jonkershuis and Manor House were beautiful examples of Cape Dutch architecture dating back to the 1700s.” 

Markovitz added that Blaauwklippen’s owners had already committed to rebuilding and restoring the Manor House and that Newmark’s operational teams would assist.

On its Instagram page today, Blaauwklippen shared a post titled “Picking up the pieces”, with an update saying it was “all hands-on deck ... getting the estate ready for guests to enjoy our offerings”.

“Although the buildings have been destroyed, the Grande Dame of Blaauwklippen will rise again, more beautiful than ever.”

The two historic buildings were being used as luxury accommodations on the estate. The Manor House slept eight people in four double rooms. The Jonkershuis slept 12 in six twin rooms. The accommodation section is now closed to the public. Guests with reservations are being assisted by Newmark's reservations team.