OUR HISTORY
1685
Jean Le Long, a French Huguenot settler, is allocated the title deed for the Boschendal farm (initially called Bossendal meaning buch & vale).
1693
The Bellingham farm, originally known as Bellinchamp (pretty fields), was granted to French Huguenot Gerrit Janze van Vuuren.
1715
Abraham De Villiers buys Boschendal and the farm remains in the De Villiers family for 164 years.
1897
Cecil John Rhodes purchases Boschendal.
1902
Cecil John Rhodes dies and the farm is taken over by De Beers which later became Anglo American.
1903
The railway line is constructed into Franschhoek, which runs next to our Franschhoek Cellars and Old Road Wine Co facilities.
1938
Douglas Green began his business with the purchase of the Forrer Brothers business in Main Road Paarl.
1942
The Douglas Green brand starts gaining a reputation for quality wines & sherries that are reasonably priced.
1943
The dynamic winemaking couple Bernard and Fredagh Podlashuk acquired the Bellingham farm on the slopes of the Groot Drakenstein Mountain.
1945
Franschhoek Cellars is founded on the Main Road by a group of farmers to vinify their grapes on a co-operative basis.
1956
Union wine opens in Oudtshoorn
1972
Douglas Green sells his business, Douglas Green of Paarl, to Warren “Cappie” Sinclair who retains the well-known brand.
1976
The giant industrial group, Rennies, buys Douglas Green of Paarl and Avrons, an importer in Cape Town, & spirits producer J.D. Bosman in Johannesburg.
Boschendal Manor House is declared a National Monument and is opened to the public.
1985
To celebrate the 300th anniversary of Boschendal, a Grand Vin Blanc (a Sauvignon Blanc /Semillon blend) is launched in a special bottle that today is the design of the 1685 bottle.
1986
Rennies Liquor holdings is sold to Sol Kerzner’s, Kersaf Investment Ltd.
1991
Kersaf’s Douglas Green of Paarl is merged with Graham Beck’s Union Wine and DGB is formed from the two entities.
1996
Graham Beck buys the Kersaf shareholding and assumes full ownership of DGB.
1999
Tim Hutchinson leads an MBO in partnership with Brait and acquires a 80% shareholding in DGB. Graham Beck retains a 20% shareholding.
2000
DGB invests R100m in upgrading the Wellington production, maturation facilities and a new Bellingham Winery is commissioned.
2001
Awarded SABS ISO 9002 Quality Management accreditation, which was also approved by the British Retail Consortium Standards.
2002
Wellington Production facility further extended to include 6500sq meters, consisting of: new warehousing, bottle storage area, conference room, tasting facility, canteen and changerooms.
2003
The new Bellingham Cellar in Wellington is christened with its first harvest.
2004
Widow Mrs. Fredagh Podlashuk agrees with Tim Hutchinson, he can start refurbishing an old building next to the Bellingham Homestead, where she was still living, to create accommodation & a hospitality facility for VIP guests to be called The Bellingham.
In an International Wine competition DGB is voted as the best SA Producer.
2005
The Boschendal Winery and wine brand is purchased.
2008
The acquisition of the Franschhoek Cellars winery and visitor facility on the Main Road in Franschhoek.
2009
A major investment in upgrading the Midrand and Wellington warehousing facilities. SAP is introduced and the tank farm in Wellington is also upgraded.
2010
Purchase of Brampton Wines from the Barlow family estate, Rustenberg.
DGB nominated for New World Winery of the year by the Wine Enthusiast magazine USA.
2011
Brampton Studio/wine bar opens in Church Street Stellenbosch.
The PMR business magazine awards DGB the Golden Arrow Award for being the top Liquor Producer and Distributor in South Africa in 2010.
Drinks Business Green Awards in London announce DGB as the winner in the Logistics and Supply Chain Green Initiative.
2012
International Drinks Magazine in London announce DGB as winners in the Green Awards Environmental Ethical category for the bamboo carbon offset community project.
2013
Shareholder Graham Beck dies.
2015
Graham Beck’s family sell their 20% shareholding to Brait.
Boschendal upgrade and refurb all the hospitality and accommodation facilities on the Estate.
2016
The Old Road Wine Co. wines are launched.
The Nicolas a VIP tasting room, conference facility, meeting rooms and hospitality facility is opened at Boschendal in a section of the old maturation cellar.
2017
Purchase of Highfield Farm in Elgin, offering amazing grapes from cool climate high altitude vineyards.
The Old Road Wine Co. cellar door and restaurant facilities are opened in Main Road Franschhoek.
2018
Planted the first vineyards ever planted in Koo a new wine area in mountains past Robertson, 1000m above sea level.
2020
Capitalworks in partnership with CEO Tim Hutchinson purchase the majority shareholding in DGB.