Vineyards in Stellenbosch, South Africa - 4 great places to visit

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Curious about vineyards in Stellenbosch? South Africa is known for its wine production, and the town of Stellenbosch is the centre of the country's wine industry. During our visit, we had time to visit four different wineries, all of which were fantastic in different ways.

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Vineyards in Stellenbosch in South Africa

In Stellenbosch, which is just outside Cape Town i South Africamost of it is about wine. There are around 200 wineries producing and selling wine, both within South Africa and to the rest of the world. A quick search for "Stellenbosch" at the Swedish Systembolaget currently yields over 160 hits.

As a tourist in Stellenbosch, you can visit vineyards, where you can taste wines, enjoy good food and sometimes even stay overnight. In the centre of Stellenbosch, you'll also find a wide range of restaurants, bars, art galleries and handicrafts shops. We've visited four wineries in Stellenbosch, and we highly recommend them all.

1. le Pommier Wine Estate

The first vineyard we visited in Stellenbosch was Le Pommier Wine Estate, which is incredibly beautiful, surrounded by greenery and high mountains. This vineyard once started as an apple farm. Today, wines are made from grapes such as Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc.

At Le Pommier Wine Estate we experienced a very pleasant and interesting tasting of the good wines, with the dramatic mountains as a background.

We also stayed two nights at this vineyard, which was an incredibly relaxing experience. We stayed in a part of the farm where you have fantastic views of both water and mountains. Here we sat and worked outdoors in the beautiful climate, and we also enjoyed a few hours in the comfortable sunbeds.

What about our room? We stayed in an absolutely gorgeous and romantic suite, and we really enjoyed this luxurious and peaceful accommodation.

Incidentally, Le Pommier Wine Estate also has a nicely located restaurant, and we had an excellent breakfast here both days. If you want lunch or dinner, there's everything from pizza and meat dishes to cheese trays to share.

2. Muratie Wine Estate

The next vineyard visit was at Muratie Wine Estatewhich is a fantastically lovely place. This vineyard is one of South Africa's oldest, with a history dating back to the 17th century.

What's special about this place is that it really preserves and enhances history. Not only can you feel it in the walls, but both the owners and employees can tell exciting stories about the people who have lived and worked here over the years.

For example, you can hear the story of the German soldier Laurens Campher, who started farming on the farm in 1685. He fell in love with a slave woman, Ansela van de Caab, and regularly travelled the 50 kilometres to Cape Town on foot or by oxcart to visit her. When she was finally freed in 1695 and came to the farm, they already had three children together.

We started the wine tasting down in the cellar, where historic wine cisterns have been converted into charming rooms. Here we tried several different wines, many of which were named after some historical or contemporary person associated with the farm.

We also had an outdoor lunch in the "Farm Kitchen". Here they focus on good, well-prepared and local food. Very good, very nice, very good!

By the way, there is also a barn with art exhibitions, arts and crafts. You simply won't be bored during a visit to Muratie Wine Estate!

3. l'Avenir Wine Estate

The third winery we visited has the name L'Avenir Wine Estate. We had a bit of trouble finding our way here at first (Google Maps, for some reason, wanted to take us via the neighbouring farm and a bumpy gravel road, which not is the right way - look for the signs instead!), but when we arrived we were greeted by an incredibly peaceful environment.

Tables and benches, under umbrellas, are spread out on a lawn overlooking the water. People come here to drink or taste the good wines, made from Chenin Blanc or Pinotage, for example.

We experienced a whole wine tasting here, with white wines, rosé wines and red wines. Very good, very nice and very informative!

We sat outside because the weather was so nice, but there are also nice indoor facilities.

4. Neil Ellis Wine Estate

The fourth and final winery we visited in Stellenbosch was Neil Ellis Wine Estate. This is a large winery that produces and exports large quantities of wine, up to one million bottles per year, to the US and Europe, among others. The farm is very nice, although dark clouds appeared just when we were here.

The wines from Neil Ellis are made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Grenache and Pinotage. We tasted several very, very good wines here.

We were also served a luxurious cheese board filled with cheeses, charcuterie, pickled vegetables, pâtés, biscuits and bread. Soooo incredibly good!

More vineyards in Stellenbosch - and nearby

Are there other vineyards in Stellenbosch, besides the ones we've mentioned? Yes, lots! Specifically, there are around 200 farms here producing wine, and there are also plenty of wineries in the surrounding areas, including nearby Franschhoek.

You can explore the area on your own, for example with a hire car or an Uber. It is also possible to experience vineyards with the Franschhoek Wine Tram, which goes to vineyards in Franschhoek and partly also to vineyards in Stellenbosch.

Have you visited vineyards in Stellenbosch?

Have you visited vineyards in Stellenbosch, South Africa? Do you enjoy vineyard visits and wine tastings? Have you tried South African wine?

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