Blog | Wine Farm Directory Adventures | Winelands Explore

Winelands Explore Socials

Join me on my exciting adventures through the winelands with tips that will help you enjoy your winelands experience to the full.

winelandsexplore

🇿🇦 🇨🇵 A South African wine estate with

🇿🇦 🇨🇵 A South African wine estate with a French and International savoir-faire, situated in the heart of the Stellenbosch appellation is where we are headed for today’s adventure.  French owner Christian Dauriac owns two St Emilion Châteaux, including Grand Cru Classé Château Destieux and Château La Clémence in Pomerol.

🍇 @mariannewines has two boutique wineries that craft their wines.  The red wines are created at the Marianne cellar, which is gravity fed with wooden fermentation and open top stainless steel tanks.
The white and Rosé wines are crafted at their petit boutique next door at the L’ermitage cellar.  Here, fermentation and ageing of the white wines takes place in 500L Acacia and 225L French oak barrels.

🍷 There are 3 tasting options available, including a biltong and wine pairing which is what I opted for.  A South African favourite and always a win.

🍽 Platters, boards and small meals available to enjoy, whilst either outside on the terrace admiring the view or inside.  Keep this farm in mind for Winter when they can light up their roaring fireplace.

Fancy a winelands stay over, well Marianne offers accommodation in a variety of rooms or 2 self-catering villas depending on your needs or group size.
Intimate weddings or conferences can be held in a variety of venues around the farm.  Child friendly but not much for them to do.

What I learnt……..The Marianne Floreal, which is a 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot and 18% Shiraz blend was chosen by Gordon Ramsey to accompany the main meal he prepared for Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday celebration at Buckingham Palace.  How cool is that!

Have a winederful day! 🥂

🍷 A short way up the Helshoogte Pass is where y

🍷 A short way up the Helshoogte Pass is where you will find @neilelliswines , with a spacious and modern tasting room for all weather.
Although only 8 hectares under vine, Neil sources grapes from other regions to make up his excellent selection of wines.

🍇 Their grapes come from four regions, namely Stellenbosch with its deep red clay soils, Groenekloof/Darling with its dryland bush vines, Elgin and its cool climate and lastly the Piekenierskloof 1964 old vines to produce their Grenache.  With this interesting combo of areas and their unique terroir driven expressions, no wonder his wines are unique and true to their roots.

The tasting room has a large inside section with different spaces and cozy fireplaces for Winter.  Outside on the deck, there is a pretty view of the mountains and an ideal setting to sit and relax with a platter and glass of wine.
They have 3 tasting options available and include either their exclusive tasting, site-specific tasting or the premium tasting.

🍽 No restaurant, but a few small meals or cheese and charcuterie platters available.  Child friendly but nothing for them to do.

What I learnt…..the Neil Ellis Jonkershoek Cabernet Sauvignon was a Double Gold Veritas Winner for 6 years in a row.  From 2013 to 2018 this top performing wine took the award and is sourced from small distinctive sites in the Jonkershoek valley.

Have a winederful day! 🥂

⬆️ "You'll never find a rainbow if you're look

⬆️ "You'll never find a rainbow if you're looking down!"
Charlie Chaplin

Wherever you find yourself this week, remember to look up!

Have a winederful day! 🥂

📮 @posthousewines is situated between Somerset

📮 @posthousewines is situated between Somerset West and Stellenbosch, and since the homestead originally operated as a Post Office to serve the local missionary community of Raithby, it made sense to associate the wine with its postal origin and therefore aptly named Post House Wines.

🍇 With 45 hectares under vine and their vineyards at the foothills of the Helderberg Mountains, the westerly slopes are reserved for the red cultivars and the cooler southerly slopes house the Chenin Blanc vineyards.
They follow a more traditional approach to wine making with using natural yeast fermentation, basket pressing and no fining and filtering.

🍷 The tasting room is rustic and relaxed, with 1 tasting option of 5 wines.  Two white wines, a Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc, and then some interesting blends and red wines.
🍽 No restaurant or platters, so perhaps eat before you come at either @96wineryroad or the @copperkettle_raithby next door.
Not much for the kiddies to do, except 3 huge dogs that love to be loved.

What I learnt……the names of their wines are derived from philately (the collection and study of postage stamps).
Each wine is named after a famous stamp or philately term.  For example, Mailing May refers to a time between 1913 and 1915 when children were stamped and mailed by the US Postal Office, because it was the cheapest travel option.  A girl named Charlotte May was posted to her grandparents, and so the story of Mailing May came about.  Thank goodness, that is a thing of the past!

Have a winederful day! 🥂

🇮🇹 This weekend we celebrated Italian wines

🇮🇹 This weekend we celebrated Italian wines on the lawns of Idiom, with their stunning views of False Bay and the Helderberg mountains.
There are more than 20 regions across the boot of Italy, so it was interesting to sample the different wines from their different regions and experience the uniqueness thereof. The Italian wines for tasting are imported by Vinotria, as well as the Italian cultivars produced at Idiom.

Delicious pizzas and pastas were on sale to compliment the wines, and live music in the tents keeping the festivities going.
Italian themed activities for the kiddies as well, with pizza making classes, face painting, a football penalty shootout competition and mask making.

Also had a catch up with the lovely Kait from @wine.farm.fun 😊

Add this event to your diary for next year, and enjoy the best of Italy in the Cape.

Have a winederful day! 🥂

🗼Remarkable architecture, lunch with a view and

🗼Remarkable architecture, lunch with a view and impressive wines were on the cards for my @lvwinessa visit and tasting.

Their wine emporium is the marriage of the ancient structures created by the Nomadic Khoekhoen people’s domed structures and the early colonialists white washed walls and gabled houses.
The new venue is connected to the 100-year-old Manor house, which houses the tasting room, by a glass roofed passage.
A 280-degree view of the Devon Valley is visible from both inside the venue or outside on their wooden deck.

🍷 There are two tasting options available, including a more everyday choice of wines and then a premium tasting too.  They have a variety of wines for all palates.  From Cap Classique and their famous Chardonnay, to a gorgeous Cabernet Sauvignon that is crafted from 5 specially selected barrels only.

There are no wine tastings on a Sunday, but the restaurant is open 7 days a week.
🍽 They offer both breakfast or lunch with mouth-watering dishes to satisfy the hungry.  Child friendly, but nothing to keep them occupied.

What I learnt…….this stunner of a venue can be used for your wedding I do’s, so match the beauty of your love to the beauty of this venue 😉

Have a winederful day! 🥂

🏅 Sticker, sticker on the bottle, who’s the f

🏅 Sticker, sticker on the bottle, who’s the fairest of them all?  The La Cave Pinotage could possibly be that with all the ‘bling’ it carries 😉.
This wine is well adorned for a reason, so lets dive in to find out why.

🍇 The grapes are sourced from two separate low yielding vineyards of less than 8 tons per hectare.  After 5 days on the skins, it was into new 225L French oak barrels, with a maturation period of 18 months.
The alluring scents of all-spice, black cherries, gooseberry and oak play on the nose.  The palate shows plush juicy fruit with flavours of ripe plums, nutmeg and cloves.  Pair this well with a braai (aka barbecue), lamb curry, seared tuna or grilled snoek.

🎓 We wouldn’t be Winelands Explore without an educational component, so let’s decode those labels quick.
The Veritas awards started in 1991 and gives recognition to wines and brandies of exceptional quality, by more than 120 international and local judges in a blind tasting.
The Platters award is primarily a wine guide with the who’s who in the winelands.  These experts do a label-sighted assessment (to learn about the producer’s intent, the wines backstory, climate and site) and those scoring 93 points or higher are re-assessed blind to give a star rating or correlating 100 point score.
Lastly the IWSC (International Wines & Spirits Council) is a global competition founded in 1969 and each year they receive entries from over 90 countries.  The judging process is both a blind tasting and panel discussions, judged by panels drawn from 250 specialists around the world.
Pretty darn impressive!

Thank you to @lacavewines
and @wellingtonwines for sending me this interesting wine.

Have a winederful day! 🥂

🌿 As Charles Kellogg said “Essentially, all l

🌿 As Charles Kellogg said “Essentially, all life depends upon soil.  There can be no life without soil and no soil without life; they have evolved together.”
This beautiful sentiment is taken seriously at Almenkerk where they have used regenerative farming to improve the soil health of their vineyards.

🌿 Joris explains in the video that once the weeds were left to grow around the vineyards, they saw an increase in the soil life in this area.  The rhizosphere or zone of soil surrounding a plant root, where the biology and chemistry of the soil is influenced by the root, is vastly improved by the number of roots you have in that zone.  This is true for all roots, whether they are vine roots or weed roots, therefore improving the quality of the soil due to the increase of weed roots.

🌿 Buffer zones of natural vegetation and fynbos were created throughout the estate, in between the vineyard blocks.  These zones ensure a safe area for natural predators that eat the unwanted vineyard pests, to hide and live.  They also create a barrier between the blocks, which help to prevent the spread of possible disease.

🌿 One of the unique features of the Almenkerk estate is their hiking trail that takes young and old on an exploratory adventure.  All monies generated from this trail go to supporting alien clearing on the farm, which is done on a continuous basis.  Sometimes all these indigenous plants need is a bit of help to outcompete the aliens and they start to flourish on their own.  This inspiring approach to farming is why @almenkerk is one of the admired WWF Conservation Champions.

DRINK WINES FOR YOUR PALATE AND THE PLANET! 🌍

Over the next few months, @winelandsexplore , @wine.co.za and @followthesugarbird will be highlighting farms that are WWF Conservation Champions, who are helping to conserve our beautiful Cape winelands.

Have a winederful day! 🥂

✨️ Annandale Wine Estate is full of Old-World

✨️ Annandale Wine Estate is full of Old-World Charm, where you can feel and see the history at this beautiful estate.  The farm itself is 334 years old, with Hempies Du Toit at the helm and his 53 years of winemaking experience.  A manor house and cellar from the middle of the 1700s are on the farm to this day, which adds to the rustic appeal.

@annandalewines produce red wines exclusively, with 20 hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon, 12 hectares of Shiraz, 10 hectares of Merlot and 3 hectares of Cabernet Franc.

🍷 There are 3 wine tastings available, including a Port (CVP) Tasting.  Fun fact, the Annandale 2005 Merlot was the wedding wine served at the marriage of Prince Albert of Monaco to Princess Charlene.

🍽 Platters are available and a wonderfully fun South African Braai Experience, where you can book a braai in advance and choose your menu (Pap & Smoor; Meats; Salads) to enjoy with friends and family under the beautiful big Oak trees.  Bring the children to run around, climb trees and swings or book a horse ride.

🍅 Familiér Farm Grocer is situated on Annandale, and they offer locally sourced top quality natural, real food.  Their produce is wholesome, free from artificial preservatives/colourants, MSG and flavourants.  You can purchase goods from here and enjoy them with your wine tasting if you fancy.

What I learnt……..Gerhard ‘Hempies’ Du Toit, is not only the nicest winemaker, but also a world class rugby player, who made his test debut for the Springboks during their 1981 tour of New Zealand.  As the ‘scourge’ of the All Blacks scrum, he was known for his speed and agility.  I was privileged to spend some time with this knowledgeable man when we visited, as he regaled us with his wonderful stories.

Have a winederful day! 🥂

🍇 Harvest 2023 is well under way in the Cape!

🍇 Harvest 2023 is well under way in the Cape!

These beautiful images captured by the talented @lorianegrobbelaar when we recently visited @kleinwelmoed , depict the simple joy around this time.

As Lana Del Rey put it,
"Doing what you love is freedom. Loving what you do is happiness."

I hope you find your freedom and happiness my wine family!

Have a winederful day! 🥂

🦩 Perched on the edge of the Bot River Lagoon,

🦩 Perched on the edge of the Bot River Lagoon, this 200hectare wine and residential estate is home to one of South Africa’s most ecological and beautiful residential wine estates, set within a protected nature reserve.  The location in UNESCO designated Kogelberg Biosphere, ensures the natural beauty surrounding the estate is protected forever.

In its vast wetlands and protected areas, @benguelacove contains 100 species of birds, including owls, blue cranes and flamingos. On the estate, visitors and homeowners can see small buck, mountain leopards and wild horses.

Benguela Cove has set aside 62 hectares of Elim Ferricrete Fynbos, which is an endangered ecosystem, for conservation.  This dedicated area provides a natural and protected habitat for the vast bird life that thrives here.

The use of biological pest control in the vineyards allows for a safer, more natural habitat for these animals and birds to raise their young here.  This not only conserves the natural beauty and wildlife but produces fantastic wines that are kind to the planet and delicious on the palate.

Over the next few months, @winelandsexplore @wine.co.za and @followthesugarbird will be highlighting farms that are WWF Conservation Champions,who are helping to conserve our beautiful Cape winelands.

DRINK WINES FOR YOUR PALATE AND THE PLANET! 🌍

Have a winederful day! 🥂

🍷 Today is International Syrah Day, so of cours

🍷 Today is International Syrah Day, so of course it made sense to celebrate with one in hand.  Did you know that South Africa has the 4th biggest plantings of Syrah in the world, and that it is the second most planted red grape in SA.  Well now you know 😉

This La Cave Syrah 2019 heralds from the Wellington region, just north of Paarl.  The grapes were picked from a single-vineyard and fermented on the skins for 7 days in open fermenters.  Post fermentation, the wine was kept on the skins for a further 7 days to assist in softening the tannins.  This also gives it the most beautiful yet darkest colour I have seen in a Syrah in ages.  Final step was maturation in small new French oak barrels for 18months.

🍇 This deep purple wine shows enticing aromas of blackcurrant, bramble, tomato cocktail, oregano and black pepper corns, with some smoked meats in the background.  A full-bodied wine with a lengthy finish and some lingering dark fruit flavours.  This wine is only going to get better with a few years cellaring.  Some food pairing suggestions would be roast beef, pork ribs or spicy sausages.

Cheers to International Syrah day, and thank you to @wellingtonwines for sending me this exquisite example to show off this varietal.

Have a winederful day! 🥂

🩶 🕊 Have you ever walked onto a Wine Estate

🩶 🕊 Have you ever walked onto a Wine Estate and been surrounded by peace and tranquility, like a little oasis in this crazy busy world. Well, that is exactly what it felt like when I recently visited @kleinwelmoed in Stellenbosch.
Their ethos and wines are best described by Loriane, their sales and marketing manager, as “plat op die aarde” or “wines that come from the heart”.

The tasting room and accommodation is shaded over by 80+ year old Oak trees, adding to the beauty.
Although predominantly a guesthouse offering top quality accommodation, they also carry their Foothills Range of Wines and Olive Oils.
We drove around this boutique farm of 39 hectares, with a big dam and views of the Helderberg Mountain and saw the various blocks and their placing to ensure the perfect microclimate.

🍷 Their tastings are by appointment only, and you can taste wines from both their Foothills range and Monogram Collection.  A personal one-on-one tasting where you can relax and enjoy the wines of this region.  From a Sauvignon Blanc and pretty coloured Rosé to Pinot Noir and Syrah.
They also have 4.5 hectares of olive trees planted and produce a gorgeous olive oil.  Child friendly with gardens to explore and colourful chameleons to find.

What I learnt…….Klein Welmoed has lovely conference facilities for intimate weddings, meetings or functions.

Have a winederful day! 🥂

☀️ February in Cape Town is not for sissies, b

☀️ February in Cape Town is not for sissies, because it is hot hot hot!!  So, what a better way to relax and cool down than a beautiful Chenin Blanc by the poolside.

The grapes for this Chenin Blanc are from 40-year old bush vines in Wellington, and harvested at the early hours of the morning to keep their freshness and fruity character.  The grapes were then fermented and matured in small new French oak barrels for 12 months.  A medium gold colour, with aromas of bake custard, yellow apples and saffron on the nose, followed by flavours of ripe citrus, peach and vanilla.  Some food pairing suggestions would be creamy poultry dishes or spicy Asian cuisine.

La Cave has a series of underground chambers below their very own state of the art cellar.  In French, a ‘Cave” (pronounce ‘kav’ with a long aaah) is an underground chamber/space used to store items, but also, more relevant to us, is a place to keep wines.  History has it that the French houses were equipped with a ‘cave’ from as early as the High Middle Ages.

Thank you, @wellingtonwines , for sending me this lovely Chenin…see you poolside!

Have a winederful day! 🥂

🍷 & 🍽 Two of my favourite pleasures in life

🍷 & 🍽 Two of my favourite pleasures in life are food and wine, so you can image my excitement to attend the book launch yesterday of the Harvest Table:  A Culinary Journey Through the Wine Regions of France, Italy, Spain and South Africa.

Best described as “a journey through the winelands of France, Sicily, Spain and South Africa told through the voices of the Oddo family and their winemaking partners, pausing to savour local culinary delights and sharing regional recipes and flavours. Words are spoken from the heart, while the soul of each destination is revealed through enticing visuals and gorgeous food photography.
A book for the traveller, the connoisseur and everyone interested in a taste of the extraordinary world of food and wine”.

These recipes give a glimpse into the different region’s food and wine offerings and how they complement each other.  Each unique terroir and the type of wine produced is described, followed by tasty and interesting recipes.

So privileged to have met the super talented @donnellyabi and @monchemuller .  Grab your copy at @lechantwines wine bar in Stellenbosch, and start feasting on these fantastic recipes from our and other famous wine regions.

Have a winederful day! 🥂

▶️ Hamilton Russell Vineyards in the Hemel-en-

🎉🥂 Birthdays are special, and how unique tha

🎉🥂 Birthdays are special, and how unique that we in South Africa celebrate our very own Wine Industry birthday on the 2nd February!
Yesterday was the 364th harvest in South Africa and we honour all the pioneers, innovators and mavericks who contributed to making this industry what it is today.

🎉 Did you know that South Africa is the only country in the world that can accurately pinpoint when its first wine was made.  This is because it was recorded in Jan van Riebeeck’s diary entry on the 2nd of February 1659.  It read: “Today, praise be to God, wine was made for the first time from Cape grapes”.

🎉 Yesterday I had the absolute privilege of attending the celebratory Wine Harvest Commemoration Event.

🎉 Join us in raising a glass to the South African wine industry, and to many more years of making fabulous wine in our beautiful South Africa.

Have a winederful day! 🥂

🍷 What were you doing 22 years ago? I was i

🍷 What were you doing 22 years ago?
I was in University and ready to take on the world.  This Rickety Bridge Shiraz was in the making….grapes picked, pressed and into barrels (in a nutshell).  Fast forward to 2023 and hopefully I have aged as well as this wine 😉

Seriously though, this Shiraz was a lovely find at our visit to @ricketybridgewines Vintage Festival last year.  They have cellared these beauties well and are in the process of reintroducing them to the public.

A good decanter to air the wine and at first sight it presents a medium garnet/bricky colour.
Mainly tertiary aromas, but still some dark fruit with notes of oak, spice and white pepper.  An elegant and refined structure with subtle leather and chocolate.

I not sure how much longer you could leave this wine, so if you have it in cellar, now would be a great time to drink it.

Leave a message to say what you were up to 22 years ago!

Have a winederful day! 🥂

🦓 Vergelegen Wine Estate in Somerset West is we

🦓 Vergelegen Wine Estate in Somerset West is well known for their sustainability and environmental initiatives, but they have really earned their stripes with their fascinating Rua-Quagga Project.
This selective breeding project aims to bring the Quagga back from extinction and was founded in 1987 by Reinhold Rau. They currently have 7 Quagga on the estate, which includes 1 stallion, 5 mares and a new foal born just 24hours before we took this video.

🦓 The Quagga are different from their close relatives the Zebra because they have stripes on their head, neck and front portions of their body only. They should have no stripes on their bum, belly or legs. The Quagga are also smaller and stockier than the Zebra, with a more dark brown and light brown striped colouring. The Zebra on the other hand has pure white and black stripes completely covering the body.

🦓 The Rua-Quagga share their 164 hectare game camp with 5 Eland. They form part of the Gantouw Project, which researches how grazing animals can naturally boost ecosystem diversity. Visitors can take an environmental tour through this camp to see the Rua-Quagga, Eland and Bontebok.

🦓 @vergelegen_wine_estate was actually the very first wine farm to be awarded WWF Champion status back in 2005.
Thank you Vergelegen for being a part of history by helping current and future generations learn about this special creature.

DRINK WINES FOR YOUR PALATE AND THE PLANET! 🌍

Over the next few months, @winelandsexplore, @wine.co.za and @followthesugarbird will be highlighting farms that are WWF Conservation Champions, who are helping to conserve our beautiful Cape winelands.

Have a winederful day! 🥂

🍷 Rust en Vrede, or “rest and peace”, is ho

🍷 Rust en Vrede, or “rest and peace”, is honestly one of my favourite farms in the Stellenbosch region (I know I’ve said that before, but I really mean it).  It’s a happy bubble where you find yourself sitting on the deck, shaded over by huge leafy oak trees, eating a simple yet exquisite meal with their excellent terroir driven red wines. You can quite simply escape from reality for a few hours.

The official title deed for @rustenvrede1694 dates back to March 1694, and the Cape Dutch buildings on the property all have National Monument status.
Rust en Vrede sits in a warmer microcosm in the Helderberg area which creates the perfect environment for full bodied red wines.
🍷 Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon are the dominant varietals, with some Merlot as well.  They have 3 tastings available, including a Wine Club Tasting.
The only white wine they have available is their Donkiesbaai Steen, which heralds from the West Coast of South Africa.  It is produced by unirrigated bush vines and only a small quantity of this intensely flavoured and expressive wine is made.

🍽 Their Rust en Vrede Restaurant is housed in the original cellar and offers a fine dining experience of contemporary French cuisine.
The Winemaker’s lunch is a simple set menu of either Chalmar Sirloin, Chalmar Pepper-Crusted Fillet or Norwegian Salmon.  The Salmon is my go-to and outstanding!

Their outside section is fabulous under the trees, and they have a big inside area for cold Wintery days.  Leave the kids out for this farm as it is more geared towards adults.

What I learnt…..the Estate Blend is made up of the same proportions as their varietals planted on the estate, making this a true reflection of their character and terroir.

Have a winederful day! 🥂

Load More… Follow on Instagram