Stellenbosch wines with Lauréat red blend, an organic Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz, and Sauvignon Blanc.
The producer
Zonnebloem Wines carries a name meaning sunflower, first given to Willem Andries Malherbe's portion after an estate division. The Furter family purchased the estate in 1893, and Willem Daniel Furter began replanting the vineyards and improving the cellar in the early 1920s. Zonnebloem Wines is associated with Heineken. Marie Furter later returned as winemaker after John de Villiers died.
Known for
Stellenbosch red blends and Sauvignon Blanc
Notable facts
The Furter family purchased the estate in 1893.
Marie Furter repeated her trophy winning achievement in 1942.
Zonnebloem Lauréat 2022 matured for 14 months in French, Hungarian and American oak.
Zonnebloem's wines won ten trophies in 1946, when John de Villiers was named South African champion winegrower.
The story
Marie Returns To The Cellar
John de Villiers was named South African champion winegrower in 1946, when Zonnebloem's wines won ten trophies. After de Villiers died, Marie Furter returned as winemaker. At the 1949 Wine Show, Zonnebloem's wines scored the highest points. Marie's maiden vintage had won three trophies at the 1940 Paarl Wine Show, and she repeated that achievement in 1942. The 1949 result followed her return to the cellar after the death of the man who had held the winemaking role.
From the atlas
Zonnebloem Wines
A South African producer whose name means sunflower and whose range spans red blends and Sauvignon Blanc.
At A Glance
Field
Detail
Place
Stellenbosch, South Africa
Red varieties
Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Merlot
White variety
Sauvignon Blanc
Notable bottle
Lauréat
Defining approach
Patient grape development and unhurried winemaking
The Producer
Marie Furter stepped into her father's responsibilities at age 21 after his death on 7 January 1940. Her maiden vintage won three trophies at the 1940 Paarl Wine Show. Zonnebloem Wines carries the name meaning sunflower, given to Willem Andries Malherbe's portion after an estate division. Zonnebloem Wines is associated with Heineken.
Place
Zonnebloem's present wines come from vineyards in Stellenbosch, while the brand's historical lineage reaches back to a 1692 land grant to Willem van der Merwe at Simondium near Paarl. The bottles are not estate grown continuations of that original farm.
Wines
The white is Zonnebloem Sauvignon Blanc, made from Sauvignon Blanc and marked by green apple, nettle, pear, blackcurrant leaf and lime. The reds divide between Zonnebloem Organic Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz, a 53% Shiraz and 47% Cabernet Sauvignon blend, and Lauréat, a four grape red combining Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Merlot.
Lauréat's grapes come from Jonkershoek, Devon Valley, Stellenbosch Kloof and Helderberg. The varieties are vinified separately, cold macerated for several days, then undergo malolactic fermentation in 300 litre barrels. The wine appeared in the 2026 Platter's five star Cape Bordeaux red blend lineup.
Final Word
The historical Zonnebloem farm delivered its final wines to Stellenbosch Farmers' Winery in 1963 and then stopped making wine to concentrate on grape growing.