A Historic Romance

Established in 1692, Lanzerac Wine Estate is one of the oldest wine farms in Stellenbosch. Stepping through its gates is like stepping through a portal into a magical world of 18th century charm with all of the modernday luxuries of heated pools, Wi-fi, and air-conditioning.

The Lanzerac tale started with South Africanborn Elizabeth Katherina Johanna Devenish, who struck gold when she married a young gentleman by the name of Frederick Alexander English, a rather successful diamond merchant. The young Kitta, as she was affectionately known, was whisked away to England to live in Addington Castle with her new husband.

In 1909, tragedy struck when Kitta was left widowed in a country which was not her own. She made the bold decision to sail back to South Africa, where she purchased the farm that was then named Schoongezicht in 1914. Why then, was the farm’s name changed to Lanzerac?

During this same period, there was a famous French General, General Charles Lanrezac, who commanded the French Fifth Army during the outbreak of World War I. Though there is no recorded evidence of their romance, it is believed that General Lanrezac and Mrs English were intimate acquaintances.

Whether the story is true or not, the Lanzerac Winery stands by this history, going