Van Hunks launched in 2020 with an experimental sparkling mead, followed in 2021 by its first Cap Classique, created by 12th-generation South African winemaker Matthew Krone using grapes grown in Stellenbosch. The brand takes its name from Jan van Hunks, a legendary Cape Town pipe-smoker said to have out-smoked the Devil himself in a contest on the slopes of Devil’s Peak — a folk tale credited with explaining the “tablecloth” of cloud that rolls over Table Mountain. That spirit of mischief and adventure is deliberately built into the brand’s irreverent, unstuffy positioning against a category (sparkling wine) it considers overly formal.
The range is built entirely around Méthode Cap Classique — South Africa’s traditional-method sparkling wine — including a Chardonnay/Pinot Noir Brut aged a minimum of 18 months on the lees, a four-grape Brut Rosé (Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinotage), a sparkling Chenin Blanc, and a first-pressing Prestige Cuvée, alongside non-alcoholic Chenin and Rosé sparkling alternatives. Grapes are hand-harvested from sustainably farmed Stellenbosch vineyards, with production emphasising pesticide-free growing and water conservation.
As a bottle-shop and online-first brand rather than an estate, Van Hunks doesn’t offer a cellar door or tasting experience — it’s sold through retail stockists and e-commerce, with dedicated distribution partners in South Africa, the UK, the Netherlands, Singapore, Norway and the US (via Culture Wine Co).
