Literally speaking, "Plaisir de Merle" means "pleasure of the blackbird." The name could derive from the little bird announcing the arrival of the harvest in France, but also from Le Plessis Marly, hometown of the Huguenot founder. When the French Huguenots arrived at the Cape in 1688, this piece of land was granted to Charles Marais. The modern day Plaisir de Merle came about as a result of various consolidations through the years, and today comprises a magnificent estate with a historic manor house and state-of-the-art cellar, which has been in use since 1993. Plaisir de Merle is one of the largest wine farms in South Africa and synonymous with world-class wines.

Plaisir de Merle is a boutique winery, a showcase estate associated with wines of unsurpassed quality. The brand is situated at the top end of the high-price wine category and is aimed at consumers with a discerning taste for quality wines. At Plaisir de Merle, the goal is to harmoniously integrate vineyard practice with winemaking, in order to produce an exclusive range of wines designed to find favor with the most discerning palates.

Plaisir de Merle is a specialist red wine producer with a unique “French connection.” The cellarmaster is talented Niel Bester, who is creating outstanding wines with a contribution by consultant Paul Pontallier from Chateau Margaux.

Plaisir de Merle is a historic farm located in the fertile Groot Drakenstein valley near Franschhoek. It is one of the largest wine farms in the Cape, covering 974 hectares and is world-renowned for its exclusive range of wines.