02. Who are we?
Steeped in tradition dating back to 1921, Monis has the longest established range of fortified wines in South Africa and enjoys an unsurpassed reputation for quality for its range of Sherry, Port and Muscadel.
Monis owes its name to Roberto Moni, an immigrant from Tuscany who established himself in Paarl in 1906. He started an import business called the Italian Warehouse where he traded in olive oil, cheese and wine whilst making his own range of natural and fortified wines including a marsala, a moscato and a selection of sherries and ports in a cellar he purchased in Paarl.
This proved to be such a success that he changed the name of his business to Monis Wineries Enterprise Ltd in 1921. In 1956, Moni opened the new Monis cellars with its own private railway siding.
That same year, Monis wines were amongst the first wines to be exported to France. As wine merchant and winemaker, Moni came full circle from wine importer to wine exporter. He stayed actively involved in the wine industry until his death in 1972. 1966 signalled a new era for Monis when it was sold to the company that is known as Distell today.
