BOLAND … “Fighters for Collaboration in the Forties”

BOLAND – A LEGENDARY SOUTH AFRICAN WINE BRAND … the story continues

The captivating history of Boland Cellar in Paarl dates back to the late 1930’s and the early 1940’s which were troubled years for wine farmers in the Western Cape of South Africa.
In 1939 some 40 wine farmers of the wine areas of Agter Paarl, Klein Drakenstein and Koelenhof grouped together in an organisation called Agter-Paarlse Boerevereniging. They come together by hiring the pressing cellar of Monis Wineries and collectively started pressing their grapes. Soon their joint production was too much for the existing facilities to handle and the group decided to dismantle its association and form three co-operatives, namely the Koelenhof Co-operative Winery, the Perdeberg Co-operative Winery and the Agter Paarl Co-operative Winery.
After several difficult and unsuccessful meetings with Monis Wineries about the terms for the handling and sales of their crops, nine farmers of the Paarl area decided to go on their own and took the bold step to form their own co-operative winery on 17 June 1941, which is today known as Boland Cellar.

Founding members: It is recorded that the nine founding members were D Blignaut, JF du Toit, H Tredoux, J Phillips, AE Eksteen, P van Jaarsveld, PE Loubser, Dr H Bruwer and J Pickard (also became known as a celebrated Springbok rugby player).
Consequently the Agter Pêrelse Wynmakers Ko-operasie Ltd, being the forerunner of the Boland Co-operative Winery, was officially registered on 10 October 1941.

Although they continued hiring and using the pressing facilities of Monis Wineries, the board during 1944 took the decision to build their own wine cellar. At the same time the wine farmers of the Perdeberg area also went ahead to establish their own co-operative winery. At this point in time a milestone was reached in Boland’s history, best described by the board chairman in his 20th Annual Report in 1961:
“Through the visionary policy decisions by both parties (that is the boards of Agter Paarl and Perdeberg) the joint decision was taken that the members of the two co-operatives would press their grapes in one facility and not in two separate pressing cellars. From this decision, Boland was born. Pursuantly the board of Agter Pêrelse Co-op Winery made its name, its board and its production machinery available to the members of the newly formed Perdeberg Co-operative Winery.”

Founding date: At the same 20th Annual General Meeting of Boland Co-operative Winery in 1961, the board chairman also highlighted the fact that: “Although Boland’s present name and composition were only finalised in 1946, we accept 10 October 1941 as the official founding date of our beloved Boland Co-operative Winery.”
He then suggested that the next year in October 1962 the 21st birthday of Boland would be celebrated accordingly as the company’s coming to age.