OUR STORY
We are Johan & Helen Steyn but people just call us “The Steyns…"
We are both private business professionals and fiercely South African by heart! We have a passion for good food and wine, love to travel and explore new places and are outdoor and wildlife enthusiasts.
Our inspiration and love for the “platteland” and Klein Karoo have taken us to towns such as Dullstroom, Clarens, Cradock, Graaff Reinet, Robertson, Oudtshoorn, Swellendam, Knysna and of course Montagu.
During these travels, we have met Julienne du Toit and Chris Marais, accomplished writers and photographers. Read about their shared vision for the Platteland from a series of books published by this well-known couple – visit:
One of our excursions took us to the Robertson Wine Festival in 2016 where we stayed at Klein Nektar Wine & Olive Estate for the first time and immediately fell in love with this beautiful estate. Later that same year we were back in Montagu to explore the Robertson Slow Food & Wine Festival and could not find a better place to stay than Klein Nektar Manor.
Unexpectedly in July 2020, we were offered an opportunity to invest in Klein Nektar Wine & Olive Estate. We could not resist and as the saying goes “….toe is die koeel deur die kerk…..!!!"
We immediately saw the potential for expanding the current offerings to also include a luxury self-catering Manor House. With much excitement we handpicked antique furniture, oil paintings and decor to compliment this beautiful Cape Dutch Manor.
As wine lovers and risk-takers, we have decided to launch our own Chardonnay wine in 2021.
We will continue our story in Montagu….
“…All of these lines across my face
Tell you the story of who I am
So many stories of where I’ve been
And how I got to where I am
But these stories don’t mean anything
When you’ve got no one to tell them to…”
The Story – Brandi Carlile (Lyrics by Phillip Hanseroth)
The Klein Nektar story would be incomplete without an explanation of the estate emblem and the evolution to the final design. The imposing house on 32 Long street that was built circa 1860 must have been a landmark with its integral wine cellar – with green doors. At the time Montagu had its own Bank and its own currency – it was a prosperous community, and one can just imagine what may have been going on behind that green door.
“…Green Door what's that secret your keeping?
There's an old piano and they play it hot behind the green door
Don't know what they're doing but they laugh a lot behind the green door
Wish they'd let me in so I could find out what's behind the green door…”
Green Door – Shakin’ Stevens (music composed in 1956 by Bob "Hutch" Davie and lyrics written by Marvin Moore)
The emblem design is focussed on the outline of the original house, with the imposing green door and external staircase with the beautiful backdrop of the rugged Langeberge and Cogmanskloof.
The possibilities of Klein Nektar and the green door is endless!