Eerste Hoop Wines

Eerste Hoop: Bot River boutique farm with a Belgian shopfront

Eerste Hoop (“First Hope”) is a boutique wine estate on Van der Stel Pass Road in the Bot River / Vyeboom area of the Western Cape Overberg. Grapes are grown, and wines are made, matured, and bottled in South Africa; the public-facing https://www.eerstehoop.com/ site is largely a Belgian / EU retail and relationship-gift shopfront, with Dutch copy, Benelux home tastings, and private-label offers. South African farm visits are a different channel: by appointment, not a walk-in Hemel-en-Aarde-style terrace.

For Walker Bay / Overberg itineraries, list Eerste Hoop as appointment-only, confirm with wine@eerstehoop.co.za, and do not treat the European online shop hours as cellar-door hours.

Location

Official contact page address:

Eerste Hoop wijnfarm · Van Der Stel Pass Road, Vyeboom, 7171 · Western Cape · South Africa

Tertiary South African listings place the farm on Van der Stel Pass at Bot River, with GPS sometimes quoted near 34°5'23.7"S 19°11'50.7"E (verify on booking). The pass links the Villiersdorp / Elgin hinterland toward Botrivier—fynbos, grazing, and small independent cellars rather than a dense tourist strip. Bot River ward wines are known for cool-influenced Shiraz and Chenin-friendly sites; Eerste Hoop sits in that farming community.

Dual contact model (EU versus SA)

South Africa (farm / wine):

• wine@eerstehoop.co.za
• +27 82 754 4408
• (Some SA directories also list +27 28 841 4190 and info@eerstehoop.com—prefer the emails and numbers printed on eerstehoop.com/contact/ when they differ.)

Belgium (distribution / EU retail):

• Rademakersstraat 14, 8380 Lissewege, Belgium
• +32 (0)9 342 60 12
• info@eerstehoop.com

Online shop orders for Europe run through the Belgian site; the same page tells South African buyers to contact the team at wine@eerstehoop.co.za.

Wines (confirmed on official / SA listings)

Official assortment sections name:

• Eerste Hoop range — white and red estate wines (site highlights Cabernet Sauvignon as full and ripe, suited to meat and harder cheeses; Shiraz appears in gift cases alongside Chenin Blanc and Rosé).
• Special blends — Lodewijkx and Lady Brigitte (elegant blends; spelling Lodewijkx / Lodewijckx varies on the site).
• Witklip — white, red, and rosé line.
• Blushing Bride — fuller aromatic rosé, also positioned as an aperitif.

Gift cases marketed to Europe include combinations such as Chenin Blanc | Rosé | Shiraz, and a Cuvée collection with Lodewijckx | Blushing Bride | Lady Brigitte. The estate notes recognition in Platter’s Wine Guide and at Concours Mondial de Bruxelles without requiring invented medal tables here.

Wined.co.za additionally lists varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Viognier and names Danielle Jacobs as winemaker—useful secondary context; cross-check bottle labels for current releases. Merlot is sometimes mentioned in tertiary briefs but was not confirmed on the live eerstehoop.com assortment pages during research—do not assert Merlot as a current core wine without farm confirmation.

Visiting South Africa: by appointment and cottage

• Tasting / farm visit: by arrangement. Wined lists Monday–Friday by appointment; public and religious holidays closed. Always email or phone ahead.
• Cottage: the official contact page offers an overnight cottage by the farm, described as made available free of charge for visitors who arrange a stay to experience the estate and wines—contact them for details when you are in South Africa. Do not arrive unannounced expecting a key.

Private-label bottling for restaurants and supermarket chains is a Belgian commercial service (+32 number), separate from tourist tastings.

How the EU site can mislead travellers

Because eerstehoop.com leads with wooden gift crates, euro pricing, and Benelux home degustations (€35 for up to eight people tasting eight wines, free above a purchase threshold), Cape Town visitors may assume a restaurant-style tasting room on the Pass. Reality: working Overberg farm + appointment hospitality + optional cottage, with retail gravity in Belgium. Plan accordingly.

Place on a Walker Bay / Bot River day

Bot River is east of the N2 from the Hemel-en-Aarde cluster. Combine Eerste Hoop only if it is marked on your calendar after wine@eerstehoop.co.za confirms. Otherwise buy through the SA email channel or European shop and keep your open-farm slots for estates that publish walk-in hours.

Name and landscape context

The name Eerste Hoop (“First Hope”) is tied in popular Bot River storytelling to early colonial naming of land along the river—long before Bot River became a formal wine ward. The modern boutique company is a younger chapter on ground with a much longer grape-growing memory. Official marketing calls Eerste Hoop a young estate on soils with a pioneer wine-farming tradition, keeping production and (for their channels) distribution close to the family business rather than a large corporate portfolio.

Bot River’s cool-influenced Overberg setting—between Elgin-facing passes and coastal Walker Bay influence—helps explain why Shiraz and fresher white styles appear in the gift assortments alongside structured Cabernet. Still, visitor infrastructure remains minimal: appointment hospitality, optional cottage, no published restaurant menu, no daily tasting chalkboards.

Booking checklist for South Africa

1. Email wine@eerstehoop.co.za (or call +27 82 754 4408) with dates, party size, and whether you want a tasting, bottle purchase, and/or cottage. 2. Ask for directions on Van Der Stel Pass Road, Vyeboom 7171—pass roads can confuse first-time drivers. 3. Confirm whether anyone will meet you at a specific time; do not treat “by appointment” as same-day drop-in. 4. For European gifts or private-label projects, use the Belgium contacts instead of the farm mobile. 5. Ignore invented open hours on tertiary sites that contradict appointment-only reality.

FAQ

Can I walk in for a tasting?

No published walk-in hours. Visits are by appointment via wine@eerstehoop.co.za or +27 82 754 4408.

Is the website South African or Belgian?

https://www.eerstehoop.com/ is Belgian/EU retail-facing; production is on the Western Cape farm. SA orders: wine@eerstehoop.co.za.

Is there accommodation?

A cottage can be arranged (officially described as complimentary when visiting)—ask when you book.

Core red styles?

Official marketing emphasises Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, with blends and other colours in the wider range.