Sip, Savour & Celebrate South Africa's 362nd Wine Anniversary - The easing of the latest alcohol ban to beat the spread of Coronavirus coincided to the day with the South African wine industry’s 362nd anniversary. The start date for the local wine industry was recorded on 2nd February 1659 as a diary entry by Jan van Riebeeck, an official of the Dutch East India Company and First Commander of the Cape: ‘Today, praise be to God, wine was made for the first time from Cape grapes.’ Jan van Riebeeck was the first governor of the Cape.