Alto is situated on the slopes of the Helderberg Mountain in the Stellenbosch Wine of Origin district. Its trellised vineyards cling to the high granite slopes that rise from 100 to 500 metres above sea level, which are ideal for the cultivation of red grape varietals. Unsurprisingly, Alto is, and has always been, red wine country.

The Estate's sound reputation for producing world-class red wines can be ascribed in part to its excellent terroir. It is no coincidence that the area is known, locally, as the Golden Triangle. The vineyards face north, north-east and north-west. In summer, when the vines are drenched in sunshine, the late-afternoon sea breezes that rise from False Bay cool the grapes, thus lengthening the ripening period and preserving the complex flavours of the noble varietals grown at Alto. Dryland conditions ensure that the vines are shy-bearing, resulting in quality grapes and, consequently, quality wine.

It is this outstanding Alto quality which has won the Estate more than 70 gold medals in open competition with the best wines in the world.

Alto's history dates back to 1693, when it was part of a larger farm named Groenrivier ("Green River").

In 1919 the then owner of Groenrivier, Hennie Malan, divided the farm vertically in order to sell half of the land to his brother-in-law. The development of Malan's share was a co-operative venture between himself and his son, Manie. In the next few years they set about converting this partial wilderness into a wine farm, to which they gave the Latin name, Alto, a reference both to the altitude of the vineyards and their own aspirations. They built a homestead and a cellar, and planted the lower slopes to vines.

Malan's choice of red varieties was based on a shrewd assessment of the nature - the strenghts - of his land. When Piet du Toit bought Alto in 1959, neither he nor the experts he called in for analysis and advice could fault the planting or the wine created by the Malans. When Piet retired in 1983, he was succeeded by his son, Hempies, a well-known rugby Springbok. Hempies du Toit continued the fine red wine-making traditions of his predecessors until May 2000. Schalk van der Westhuizen has been appointed as the new winemaker to develop and streamline the Estate's vineyard methods even further.

Alto is owned by Lusan Holdings (Pty) Ltd, a joint venture between Distell and Hans-J Schreiber. The joint venture is responsible for the farming activities and the production of the wine. The joint venture markets and sells its products exclusively through Distell.

www.alto.co.za