Pam McOnie
Guest author: Pam McOnie, Cape Town and Cape Winelands tour guide
Pam McOnie
As the third part of our blog series on A Taste of Cape Winelands: A Vineyard Guide, Pam McOnie—a brilliant tour guide based in Cape Town, South Africa—shares some of her favorite wine estates in the Stellenbosch Hills Ward region of Cape Winelands.
In this series, Pam provides information on some of her favorite wine estates, which she chose for the wine and / or the experience visitors have when visiting these estates.
To see the other parts of this post, click the links below:
See below for Part III of this series, which focuses on a portion of the STELLENBOSCH HILLS WARD of the Stellenbosch wine region:
Meerlust: This is one of South Africa’s top wine estates and also one of its oldest. They are most well know for their Meerlust Rubicon. This is a Bordeaux-style red wine. Meerlust was the first estate in the country to try and produce a Bordeaux-style red. This wine definitely has icon status in South Africa.
A visit to the estate is a definite “must include” for any visit to Stellenbosch. True to their terroir, the Meerlust estate‘s focus is mainly on reds. They do, however, have one white wine—a chardonnay that is quite oaked and delicious! Meerlust is also one of the few producers of Pinot Noir in the country. The tasting room is located in the old wine cellar and posters of art from various art galleries around the world surround you. The estate has a filled with history and boasts a lovely Cape Dutch homestead (private so take a picture from a distance!). I would highly recommend a visit. www.meerlust.com
Spier: I always think of Spier as the Disney World of the Winelands. It is the best example of brilliant marketing that there is in the wine region. It is now one of the Top 10 places to visit when you visit Cape Town.
Dick Enthoven transformed Spier from a simple wine estate with a historical homestead to a place where people come and spend half a day or a few days. On the one end of the campus he has given ground to the Cheetah Outreach project and to Eagle Encounters (a raptour rescue project). The cheetahs act as ambassadors to raise money to protect the largest free population of cheetahs (which are in Namibia). At the project you can go in and interact with the adult or cheetah cubs (when they have them). This is in exchange for a “fixed” donation that goes into the project. It is a non-profit organization.
The Raptour project is also non-profit and they have wonderful flying shows of the raptours—this is very interactive as the birds actually come and perch on your glove—well worth taking kids of all ages as the show is great. For times, check out Spier’s website www.spier.co.za.
On the same campus, you can head through for a wine tasting. The wines have improved leaps and bounds over the last three years. Then head through to check out the flea market shops along the lake, visit the Moyo shop for excellent South African crafts and odds and ends, stop for a picnic at the lake (note no private picnics), and head for lunch at Moyo (nicer at night!). If it’s summer check out what is on at their open-air theatre—they have some wonderful productions, book a conference on the estate, stay at the hotel, charter a train to take you through Spier Station, go horse riding, or play golf!
The location of Spier is also spectacular as it’s only 15-minutes from teh town of Stellenbosch. This is perfect if you have kids as there is also a nice play area for them. It’s also important to note that there is a fantastic new restaurant at Spier called Eight. They serve lighter meals with a focus on sourcing produce locally. The décor is contemporary and chic and the setting is really gorgeous as it is located near the stream. www.spier.co.za
Van Ryn: For those interested in Brandy, Van Ryn does a fantastic brandy and chocolate pairing. They first do a talk on each of the brandies and the history of Van Ryn and then explain the pairing. They also do cellar tours at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 1 p.m. Van Ryn has won numerous international awards for their brandy. www.vanryn.co.za
Asara KIDS MARZIPAN SAFARI: Asara offers kids a delightful three-hour children’s cooking programme to keep little hands busy, while their moms and dads relax.
The Marzipan Safari features pastry chef Bernd Strauss, who shows the little ones how to make the animals of Africa in marzipan! Guaranteed fun for all ages. This also includes a break of half an hour with yummy hot chocolate and homemade cookies, before heading home with their very own marzipan animals to enjoy and show to their friends (if they don’t get eaten first!). This is R150.00 per person (beverages excluded). There is a minimum of two children and maximum of six children per group. For more information phone +27 (0)21 8888000, email dining@asara.co.za, or visit www.asara.co.za
Raats Family Wines: Tastings at the Raats estate are by appointment only. Bruwer Raats has created a small boutique winery and decided to focus on wines that are suited to the geology of his land, as well as varietals that would stand out from the pack. As such, he has focused on chenin blanc and cabernet franc, only. A visit with Bruwer is a geology lesson. The man is extremely passionate about winemaking and his excitement is infectious. He is inspirational and his wines are excellent. www.raats.co.za
This Article was written by Pamela McOnie who contributes to the foodie side of this website and also offers private guiding services and gourmet & wine tours of the Cape region.
Have a question for Pam or want to have Pam guide your next tour to Cape Winelands? Contact us today.
