Towards the end of the 19th century, the owner of the winery returned from his trip to Cape Town and found his farm in flames.

His exclamation "all lost" gave his wine estate its name. The current owners of the winery - the Malan family - have specialised in strong and fruity red wines.

Daniel Malan has been the cellar master at Allesverloren Wine Estate since 1987 and is one of the most experienced cellar masters in the Cape.

The Allesverloren vineyards rise on the imposing Kasteelberg in the picturesque Riebeek Valley in the Swartland.

The vineyards lie between 170 metres and 350 metres above sea level and benefit from a rainfall variance of 200mm. Kaltern and wet winters are followed by warm, dry summers in which the grapes ripen easily and have a high sugar concentration.

The soils on this Swartland farm are a mixture of slate and weathered sandstone - a stony structure that is decisive for the special character of the Allesverloren wines.

After the grape harvest, this wine matures for 18 months in old and some new French barriques.