The first winemaker was Manie Ackerman, referred to as Manie met die baie kinders (“Manie with his many kids”). He continued to produce distilling wine, and it was left to Joe Forrer, an outstanding German South African winemaker to reduce the distilling wine and to go in for natural white wines.

The original farm that today is Welmoed was granted to a German speaking Swiss mercenary, Henning Hussing, by the VOC (Dutch East India Company) upon completion of his contractual tour of duty in the Cape.