Francois Klomp, a civil engineer by training, bought the historic 82 hectare property in 1998. The farm was originally granted to Francois Retief, a French Huguenot in 1699, and measured 414 hectares. This was later subdivided into 11 smaller properties. "Next year will mark the 350th anniversary of winemaking in South Africa. I realise that our ten year celebration seems very short in comparison, but I am encouraged by South Africa's diversity and heritage to produce even better wines every year. My mission is to build a brand that will be synonymous with quality, integrity and good value. I want to create a legacy for my children and their children's children," says Francois. The name Freedom Hill was inspired by the release of Mr. Nelson Mandela from the Victor Verster Prison (now Drakenstein prison) on 11 February 1990, as the farm overlooks the facility. The Freedom Hill 1.5 L Magnum bottle also has Mr. Nelson Mandela's prison number 1335/88 on the bottle (his official number at Victor Verster). The competent winemaking duo at Freedom Hill consists of François Naudé and Kowie du Toit, who have in excess of 50 years of winemaking experience between them. All red wines are made from grapes grown on the farm, and the total production amounts to 6,000 cases. Chris Immelman has been the viticulturist at Freedom Hill since 2006 and is also very involved with assisting in the cellar. The Freedom Hill wine portfolio includes: Sauvignon Blanc, made from Elgin fruit, Pinotage Rosé, Shiraz / Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage, Shiraz and a Cape blend. The soils of the farm consist of Tukulu and Oakleaf and all the vineyards are located on the mountain slopes. Currently 19 hectare are planted, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinotage and Shiraz, while 25 hectare of high quality vineyard soil is still available for future plantings. The immediate focus is to utilise the existing ten year old vineyards to produce the best possible quality wines. Francois and wife Adila, are passionate about wine and the bush, and they also own a luxurious game lodge and bush spa, named Shibula Lodge. This 5 star game lodge is situated in 36,000 hectare of pristine malaria free big five wilderness in the Waterberg. See www.shibulalodge.co.za.