14/09/2020
Jason’s Hill is situated in the heart of the Slanghoek Valley, about an hour’s drive from Cape Town. With its fertile soil and Mediterranean climate the very best of grapes are produced for making award-winning wines. It is this ideal setting that Ivy Du Toit, one of South Africa’s woman winemakers, and her family are keeping alive the tradition of vine growing and winemaking started by their ancestors in 1844. Originally the whole Slanghoek Valley belonged to one owner, Ivy’s great great-grandfather, JC Rossouw, who had 9 children, one of whom was Ivy’s direct forbearer, Beatrix Rossouw. The patriarch divided his land among his children and Beatrix inherited the piece of land called Jasonsfontein. Beatrix married Izak van der Merwe. Their daughter, Johanna Elizabeth van der Merwe married Andries du Toit and her direct descendants are still passionately involved with winemaking on the farm.
Ivy’s interest in winemaking became clear at a young age when she started spending her time curiously investigating activities at a nearby cellar. It was, however only after harvest seasons in the United States, France, and Italy that she decided to try her own hand at winemaking. In 2001, everything from the picking, destemming and bottling was done by hand. It was not long before Ivy saw the success of her hard work as she was awarded Diner’s Club Young Winemaker of the Year in 2003 and awarded Landbou Weekblad Woman Winemaker of the Year in 2004. Her wines have continued to receive awards each year and are a treat for visitors from all over the world. After her first wine was such a success, the family built the cellar in 2002. They named the cellar after a shepherd, Jason, who lived on the farm and took care of his sheep long before there where grapes on the farm.
Their passion for wine and vineyards are visible throughout the entire estate. When visiting, guests can enjoy the breath-taking scenery while tasting delicious wines, discover hidden gems at the shop and enjoy an energetic adventure on the 6.6km hiking trail.