Van Loveren Heritage begins with the Retief family and their mixed farm, Goudmyn. That working farm in the Robertson Valley grew into one of South Africa’s foremost family-owned wine estates. Its heritage lingers in a name and in every hand that shaped it.
Carving the Van Loveren Identity in the Robertson Wine Valley
Luckily for those who enjoy Van Loveren wines today, Hennie found little success with livestock. He was much better at growing fruit, from peaches to pears, apricots, guavas, and grapes. This became the farm’s future. The only thing missing was a lasting name, which arrived when he married his wife.
Her name was Jean van Zyl. She was a schoolteacher from Ashton and later became the matriarch of the family vineyard. Jean had no fondness for “Goudmyn-F,” so she renamed the farm after her ancestor, Christina van Loveren, who sailed from the Netherlands in 1699. Today, two of the farm’s wines honour these women: Perlé de Jean, made for Jean, and the Christina wine range, named after the ancestor who inspired the farm’s name.
Ouma Jean and the Heart of the Farm
Jean was always at the centre of Van Loveren. Before there was a tasting room, she made butter in a small rondawel on the farm and wrapped each block in paper labelled “Mev. Hennie Retief” to sell in town. Later, this rondawel became the farm’s first wine tasting spot. Visitors often wandered into her garden, which she tended with pride and loved to show to guests.
People also remember her for her sweetcorn fritters, which she gave out for free on weekends and holidays. Visitors were often surprised there was no charge. Many came for the fritters as much as for the wine, a tradition that lasted until Christina’s Bistro opened in 2012.
Three Generations of the Retief Family
Jean and Hennie’s sons, Nico and Wynand, modernised the cellar and bottled the first wines under the Van Loveren brand in the 1980s. Jean had prepared them to take over the farm when they were old enough, and they became the bridge between her rondawel and the future of the Van Loveren family vineyards.
The Women Who Shaped the Community
The women of the farm played just as big a role as the men. Nico and Wynand married Shan Bussell and Penny Carse, who worked to help women in the Robertson community grow alongside the vineyards. Together, they started the Canna Club, named for the red canna flowers on the farm. This monthly group focuses on sharing skills and personal growth. It still helps women support their families and community today.
The Third Generation Leading the Van Lovern Family Vineyards
The third generation followed in the 1990s: cousins Phillip, Neil, Bussell, and Hennie grew up on the farm and joined after their studies. In the early tasting-room years, the whole family took weekend turns: Nico and Shan, Wynand and Penny, then the cousins and their wives, and even the grandchildren, all pouring wine and welcoming guests.
Each family member left their mark, and together they created the Van Loveren heritage that remains strong today. Floods have hit the cellars more than once, but each time the Retief family rebuilt and adjusted. The second flood brought the cousins together and led to the Four Cousins range. The latest flood tested Van Loveren again. Nico, who managed much of the cellar’s growth and marked each new section with its date, painted a line showing how high the water reached. This stands as proof of all the challenges these roots have overcome.
A Heritage for Everyone to Enjoy
That same warm welcome now fills the whole farm. The modern tasting room keeps the rondawel’s spirit alive in a bright, open space made for today’s wines. Christina’s Bistro, also named after the Dutch ancestor who inspired the farm’s name, offers long, relaxed lunches at the centre of it all. Ouma Jean’s gardens still frame everything, lush and stretching skyward.
Beyond the cellar and vineyards, much of the farm is still a protected natural area. Visitors can explore its fauna and flora along trails for hiking and birdwatching. This is our heritage, open for everyone to enjoy.
Visit the Van Loveren Family Vineyards in Robertson
Today, this family-owned wine farm in Robertson welcomes visitors with the same spirit as Ouma Jean, believing that everyone should feel at home. Why not come and experience it for yourself? Book your Van Loveren visit here!
