Wine estate · Paarl and Wellington

KWV

Outside on Kohler Street the midday heat hangs over the tarmac. Inside, between the barrels, the air is cool and smells of wood.

The door swings shut and the heat stays outside. KWV's cellar complex in Paarl covers 22 hectares and, according to the company, ranks among the largest in the world. KWV was founded in 1918 and still has its headquarters in Paarl. You taste at the Emporium on Kohler Street, which is also where cellar tours through the Cathedral Cellar start, in English and in German.

cellar complex in Paarl
22 ha
KWV founded
1918
first KWV brandy
1926
House of Fire tour
75 min

Right next door is the House of Fire, the historic brandy cellar. KWV made its first brandy in 1926 and distilled here until 1991, after which production moved to the big brandy cellar in Worcester. The brandy and chocolate tour takes about 75 minutes and costs R295, and blending your own brandy costs R1,650 (as of September 2026). The South African Brandy Foundation lists different tour times and R200. As far as can be checked, that is an older figure.

What about Worcester? The KWV House of Brandy there opened to visitors in 1992; according to the sa-venues portal it is no longer open to the public, only for special occasions. KWV itself now lists only the Emporium, the Cathedral Cellar and the House of Fire. For brandy, head to Paarl.

Cost
tastings R70 to R150, pairings R150 to R200, House of Fire tour R295, as of September 2026
When
House of Fire: tours Mon to Fri 10:30 and 14:30, Sat and Sun 10:30 by reservation only, as of September 2026

Our tipThe Emporium pairs Laborie Cap Classique with macarons. Laborie belongs to KWV and lies just over a kilometre away as the crow flies, so both fit into one morning. Book the weekend House of Fire tour in advance, as of September 2026.

Town guide: Paarl

Wines by KWV to order

AdvertisementAll product links are affiliate links to wine merchants based in Germany, who deliver to Germany and parts of the EU. If you buy through them we receive a commission; the price stays the same. Price, shipping and delivery time are set by the shop. Prices as of 23 September 2026

KWV: frequently asked questions

Can you tour the KWV cellars in Paarl in German?

Yes, KWV runs cellar tours from its Emporium in Paarl in both English and German (as of September 2026). The tour goes through the cellar complex including the Cathedral Cellar.

Is the KWV House of Brandy in Worcester still open?

According to sa-venues, the KWV House of Brandy in Worcester is no longer open to the public, only for special occasions. KWV now shows visitors its brandy at the House of Fire in Paarl.

What is the KWV House of Fire?

The House of Fire is KWV's historic brandy cellar in Paarl, where brandy was distilled until 1991. The tour takes about 75 minutes and ends with brandy and chocolate; at weekends it runs by reservation only.