In 1984 Neil Ellis sourced grapes from vineyards not of his own and produced wine in rented cellar space. These grapes were sourced in the Stellenbosch district and meant a lot of nosing around the restrictive quota system prevalent at the time.

Wines vary greatly in their soil, climatic and topographical requirements. No single vineyard can satisfy the needs of all grape varieties, so here at Neil Ellis we select vineyards where individual varieties excel, best expressing a particular style of wine reflective of their environment.

Our vision remains to make distinctive, refined wines that are expressive of their terrain and rank amongst South Africa’s finest. A pursuit of quality, nothing less. Our vineyard sites include those in Stellenbosch, Groenekoof, Elgin and Piekenierskloof – affording us different altitudes, climate and soil types, yielding expressive, terroir-driven fruit.

Growing outstanding grapes, working with the best growers and applying minimal intervention to make exciting wines with a strong sense of place is the core philosophy of Neil Ellis Wines. We invite you to come and taste our wines in our Stellenbosch Tasting Room, just 5 minutes drive from the centre of the historic town.