Neil Bent

Tasted these wines at Romond.

Tasted there wines at Romond.

Nice drive out there. Small winery but good wines

Brought some friends from Australia here for a tasting. Seems everybody knows about Fairview.

We had a great time. The wines were good and so were the cheeses, we bought a bunch (of wine and cheese).

This is just one of those farms that you have to visit… and by the number of people there, it seems everyone thought so.

Cheers, and enjoy!

This is visually one of the nicest wineries I have visited. Wines are tasted in a lovely courtyard with a very Italian and French feel.

The wine and chocolate pairing is different, as one might like a certain wine but not the chocolate. Great wines none the less.

Waterfort should be on everyone’s list when visiting the Stellenbosch winelands.

Cheers, and enjoy!

Even though I arrived late (not fashionably), I managed to catch up with the wines that were being tasted. Good for me, because the wine were of really good quality.

We started with a lovely dry Rose, then moved on to tasting two Viogniers next to each other. Both were great, but like chalk and cheese… Not the taste, just the difference. The one was easy drinking and fruity, while the other was wooded untill it met the bottle. Both were very high in alcohol (about 14.5% i think).

Next we had a couple of red wines. None of them really stood out for me.. not because they weren’t good, but because they were all good.
We were priveliged enough to try some wines not yet released. The Shiraz can do with a couple more year, but looks to have plenty of potential.

Thanks all for your hospitality.

A lovely Saterday with a great bunch of people.
Cheers, and enjoy!

This was another one of our stops along the Helderberg Festival. The tasting staff was very helpfull and the wine maker was also there to say a few things about his wine, as well as get the tasters (drinkers) opinions on his wine. Well, here’s mine: I really enjoyed the Penny black as well as the 2008 Chenin. The Shiraz is good wine with an orange chocolate nose and taste. The 05 Cab scored well with me and the soon to be released 07 looks to be good, but is obviously still quite tannic. The Merlot was a little less “lady like” than most of them tend to be, which I liked (not that I dislike the softer type). And lastly… the Blueish black was average to good.
Overall ==> 7.5/10
Going here wouldn’t be a waste of time, so… Enjoy

If you’re ever on the R44 between Stellenbosch and Somerset West do yourself a fovour and take a left turnoff on a dirt road just after Eikendal (heading towards Somerset West). Go down that road a few hundred meters and take another left. Pass a house on your right and park on the tennis court on your left… You’ve now reached GRANGEHURST Winery.
It’s little wineries like these that make me love the Stellenbosch wine route so much. It’s just a pitty they’re hidden and no one really know’s about them. Well, now you do!
After just passing the winery on the way to Longridge we decided to turn back and have a look at what’s going on here (as a few cars were parked on the tennis court). We were welcomed by the winemaker Jeremy Walker, a member of CWG and a very pleasant guy, as well as by the tasting assistant (who’s name I can’t remember… maybe Elsebie). The service was great. And the wines? Well, all I’m gonna say is: “They were above average”… Now you’ll have to go there for yourself to see just how good they are.
Enjoy!

This is one of the most welcoming wineries you’ll ever have the pleasure of visiting. It’s not often the owner and wine maker welcomes you to their cellar. The tasting room is fairly new and has quite a rustic feel. In the barrel rooms are gargoyles about which I didn’t get a chance to ask, so if you know what that’s about…let me know. This is a great wine farm and I’m looking forward to some big things from here in the next few years.
Here are some of my tasting notes for those interested:

Like Drew, we got to taste the Romond (R) wines as well as wines from Miravel (M) and Heron Ridge (HR).
*The Pinotage Rose (R) is an awesome example of a dry rose. It has less than 2.5g/L of sugar and is therefor regarded as extra-dry. Its strawberry nose leapt out at you with the first whif and is followed by a sort of cream cheese smell (a lot more pleasant than it sounds, I must say). The nose is followed by a crisp dry taste, lovely for this summer’s long hot days. I think this will be the last vintage of this Rose as it’s quite a job to produce… so hury up and get some before it’s too late.
*The SB (M) is made in the typical green style, with green pepper and asparagus.
*(HR) has two Shirazs, the softer 05 and the more intense (big mouth feel) “The Flight Shiraz 06″. I enjoyed the latter one better.
*(R) The Rebus 2003 is a blend of CF and CS. This is an excelent wine with nice vegetative tone. A really good buy at R65 per bottle.
*Lastly… way after what should have been “closing time” we got to taste the Rebus 07, which has not been released yet, but promises to be a great wine… up there with the likes of the Cordoba Crescendo. I’m really looking forward to that coming out. I think that will be released in about 6 months at less than R100 per bottle.

The wines here are quite interesting. Almost all of them consisting of 3 to 6 blends. We were helped by Derek, a really nice character, a security guard turned tasting room staff. His knowledge on the wines and area is really good. The Afrikana 07 (shiraz) was the best for me. However the Cape Jazz, a carbonated red that tasted like the red sparletta, but isn’t for kids, was really disapointing.

A very nice place to get your taste on. Tortoise Hill wine were nice and the staff were friendly. The artwork that was displayed was a little freaky though. Great views from the balcony. Overall a good experience.
Enjoy…

There’s quite a lot of wines to choose form, the Cab is quite nice. The noble late harvest is very good. This is quite a big estate and home to the Nederburg Auction (who woulda guessed). A very nice setting and a “historic” part of the wine industry, so a must visit.
Enjoy…

Been back here with good company and really enjoyed it. I like that they bring out all your wines and you can then drink them at your own leasure, and, should you have any questions, the tasting ladies (I don’t thing they hire guys at the tasting room) are more than willing to help you. Had the Cabernet Sauvignon Blanc this time and don’t really get it. Nice tasting nontheless.
Enjoy…

Mmmm, Neethlingshof’s not just a place to have your huisdans, the make nice wines too.
I especially like their Gewurztraminer (much easier to drink that to spell), full of litchi like you’de expect.
Generally a bit pricey, but worth it.
Enjoy…

Next time you drive past the Distell traffic lights, stop and turn right (if you’re heading to Kuilsriver, else left). Situated not too far from that main road is Middlevlei. Their wines are good and the staff is friendly and best of all, you don’t have to drive out of Stellies to get there as its right by Onderpapagaai Berg.

I’ve always been a big fan of Alto Rouge, so I had to buy some for last night’s red blend tasting, and it didn’t dissapoint. Alto doesn’t have the biggest variety of wines, only serving up the Rouge, a Cab, a Shiraz and a Port. However, all of the wines are above average to good. The port is especially nice, however you have to fork out an extra R10 to taste it, but it’s worth it. The girl presenting the tasting was friendly and very helpful.
Enjoy and happy slurping.

Noooo… Damn u Madame de Wyn!
Unfortunately I didn’t get to taste the Chardonnay either, nor do I have a bottle at home to open one day. Never mind, I’m hoping to get a bottle before the 1012 vintage.
This winery has one of the most spectacular views you’ll ever see. With vineyards between 460m and 600m above sea level (won’t be too far off), so you can see a great deal. Audrey, the wineyard worker turned tasting lady supremo, tells me you can see Robben Island from the tasting room on a clear day.
The wines were great, with a few people wanting a second heelping of the flagship red. But the atmosphere was even better. Audrey made us all feel welcome and the sunroom was a great place to relax and enjoy your glass of wine.
For those of you who like sundowners, Audrey hosts these from the 1st Friday in November, but call and book in advance.
Enjoy and happy slurping.

I love red wines… So I don’t mind visiting wine farms that produce only reds. Great place. Very sophisticated wines.

This is a nice winery, but prices in the gift shop is crazy. They make a nice Cape blend and are willing to offer specials for certain events, which is nice of them. Great venue and view from the top notch position. Unfortunately a little bit average though.

This is a nice little farm. The “winemakers” are passionate and I’m sure the farm will be producing great wines in the years to come.
Also learnt something new… Hutton is the type of soil that the vines are planted on.
Good luck guys!

Wow, “Sorry, say that again. R350 for this… and we didn’t even get chocolate!” Jip, not for the non-super rich. The wines were average. The only reason I went was to see what all the fuss was about. Sorry Ernie… that scores you a double bogey!

Great shiraz. Very nice cellar. The tasting team were al friendly. The restaurant’s also great, with nice food and wine pairings. A little bit on the expensive side though, but nice!

I almost always visit this winery after going past Tokara first. I love the fact that there are two wine farms so close together which both don’t charge a tasting fee. The Mint is a great wine, and if I remember corectlym, it’s the second least expensive 5star wine (according to the john platter rating), after Kaapzight’s red. And it’s worth every cent, and then some. The rest of their wines are also great.
A good tasting area also, and friendly service to boot.
Well done team Thelema.

Some very nice wines. The Cape blend’s good. The wines are a little pricey. I remember sitting there for like 2 hours in autumn waiting for an acorn to fall on my head. It didn’t. Nice setting.

Tokara’s a very modern winery. I love the cosy feel. The fireplace is great and the view is even better. I like the chocolates and olives also. The HUGE clock gives the place a very modern feel. It’s also great to be able to look out onto the cellar through the big windows.
Awesome place! The fact that tasting is free is great. We go there at least twice a year, and buy at least one bottle every time we go. Ooh, almost forgot… the brandy’s breathtaking, literally and figuratively.