MontPellier

Montpellier was established in 1714 by Jean Imbert and Jacques Theron, Huguenot refugees who arrived in Table Bay in 1688. Governor Maurits Pasques de Chavonnes granted Imbert the land in 1714, which was named Montpellier, while Theron was granted the neighboring farm, Le Rhône. Following Imbert's death in 1723, the farm changed hands several times before Jacques Theron's descendants acquired it in the 1880s, staying in the family for roughly 100 years. In 2001, Johannesburg advocate Lucas van Tonder purchased the farm, undertook a major restoration, and acquired the neighbouring farm Constantia. The first vineyard was planted for private use around 1815–1820, following the construction of the homestead, with commercial vineyards established in the late 1890s. In 1884, Hendrik Theron took over the estate and planted vineyards of Sémillon, Riesling, French grape, and Cinsaut. De Wet Theron inherited the farm in 1945, replacing Cinsaut with Clairette Blanche, Colombard, Riesling, and Chenin Blanc. He reduced oxidation using CO2, controlled fermentation temperatures with cold running water, introduced 20kg picking boxes, and imported active dry yeast to South Africa in 1967.