Fort Simon Wine Estate

The wines are very well-made – you have to watch their Premium Range Pinotage – it will rise like a star. Even the secondary range Pinotage(Fortress Hill) is a good value for money and out-runs the typical well-priced rusty nails. Speaking of well-priced wines – I have to mention the taste-buds-melting Late Harvest.

The atmosphere of the tasting room is indeed a bit rustic, but you go there to taste the wines and not to judge about the personal preference of interior design

After a bit of a drive you spy a castle looking building, this is the cellar. Then you go towards the tasting room over and past a lovely blue pool and over a “draw bridge” into the “fort”. I kid you not. Inside you feel like you are transported back in time. The host was friendly and informative and the grandson of the owner filling in for the usual staff. He knew a lot about the history of the owners and the entire farm since he lives there and we found it very entertaining. The animals and bones are not my personal taste but they do go with the whole feel of the place. They have a huge variety of wines and do Fort Simon as well as an entry level range Fortress Hill. Prices aren’t bad at all. Bought a bottle of the Rosé which I enjoyed the same afternoon. Apparently there are plans for a conference and wedding venue and a restuarant in the future.

After driving on a windy gravel road you are greated by an interesting brick face building which as the name sugests does look like a fort but before you get into the fort you first have to navigate your way past an oasis,
The wines are nothing special and the price is what tempts you to buy coz they are not expensive. The premium Viognier is worth a mention.
The host lezanne i friendly and does what she has to do.

The most boring tasting I have ever experienced! We were stared at by the tasting host the whole time, which as you can imagine was incredibly uncomfortable! Also there selection of wines left a lot to be desired! Maybe I will go back in a couple of years or so and try again.

Awesome tasting room. Wines are not bad.

A old Fort in Bottelary? I did not know that!All the bricks that was used to build the tasting room was collected on the farm. It’s a pity that they didn’t collect the bricks for the winery there as well. It would have felt like wine tasting in Disney Land! You will like the tasting room if you have a thing for animal trophy’s . The owner is apparently a hunter as well. Our host Lezanne was friendly and answered all our questions to the best of her ability. They only have one white wine on tasting. They specialities is apparently Shiraz and Pinotage.

I do not like the Bok-Koppe.