brandywine

We will be staying in Stellenbosch for a couple of days before heading up to Sabi Sands next June. We will have about 1-1/2 days for winery tours and siteseeing in the Stellenbosh/Franschhoek area. There are so many wineries to visit that we do not know where to start. Can anyone suggest a few wineries that we should definitely visit, and also one where we could get a nice gourmet type lunch.

uhoh_busted

Rust en Vrede -- If you can only visit one winery, it should be here. The grounds are extraordinary and the wines are top notch. It is near Stellenbosch. Another we enjoyed very much was Clos Malvern, where the lady who did the tasting was a lot of fun.

Near Franschhoek, we adored L'Ormarins -- another place with extensive lands and grounds. We picked up a picnic lunch at a wonderful littlel place in Franschhoek called "Delicious." Don't forget to pick up plastic utensils or you'll be using your fingers more than you had planned. We had our lunch on the terrace at L'ormarins, overlooking their pool. (We drank half a bottle of yummy wine, too.)

brandywine

Uhoh-busted,
Thanks for the reply. I've read several good reports about Rust en Vrede, so we'll try to hit that for sure. It looks like L'Ormarins is on the road from Stellenbosch to Franschhoek so that should be an easy stop. Then maybe onto Franschhoek for a good lunch and a couple more wineries. Should be a really nice day. Hope the weather is decent there in June.

uhoh_busted

It was magnificent when we were there in mid May so expect to see a glorious autumn

Jona

Hi brandywine and all,

You have come to the right forum! The regulars here are just wonderful.
You'll probably be flooded with suggestions but I'll give you my two pence half penny worth:

We came upon Constantia Uitsig (Constantia/Capetown) almost by chance: We simply couldn't resist the welcoming salute of their entry guard. Excellent wine (probably some great ones - but we didn't have time for a proper tasting. ) A lovely building on the Capetown scenic route.

Rust en Vrede is a must. I'm sure they have wonderful wine but we were there outside their regular hours. It is an utterly heart-achingly beautiful place. The view from the terrace is every European's vision of Paradise brought to life on the continent of Africa!

Franschhoek: the Cabriere Estate is a must in our book.We were there on a Saturday morning and were given a tour de force by the owner. Forget your German,French, Italian, Spanish winetastings! This guy was in a class of his own and he managed. ever so gently, to convey the fascinating Hugenot cultural background of the South African wine tradition.

We drove along the Robertson/Worcester wine route (east to west). It is wonderfully scenic and I understand there are some interessting wineries along the route.

Gourmet type lunch: It is sooo relative
but we had a wonderful meal at the Cabriere restaurant and in Stellenbosch we really appreciated the consistant quality of the Volkskombuis.
We had had a few never to be repeated lunch experiences in Stellenbosch!

You don't say if this is your first visit to South Africa.
If it is, do try to find time to visit the Stellenbosh township.
(Selwyn Davidowitz can help you there).


Make the most of your stay in South Africa!