Stellenbosch wine region

From Cape Town along the N1, you can take the R304 through Koelenhof past Villiera and Simonsig to Bottelary and the cellars of Hartenberg, Bellevue, Sterhuis, Kaapz­icht and Mooiplaas – or follow the old Paarl road to Muldersvlei, Elsenburg and Klapmuts. Alternatively, exit the N1 further north, onto the R44 from Wellington, and then wend your way through the Simonsberg ward that includes Warwick, Marklew, Laibach and Kanonkop, tak­ing in the mini-route past Quoin Rock to Delheim or Knor­hoek, and on to the town past L’Avenir and Morgenhof.

From Cape Town via the N2, the Baden Powell off-ramp feeds into the R310 past Vergenoegd, Meerlust and Welmoed to Spier and Vlottenburg, whereas leaving the freeway further south is the route to Vergelegen and Mor­genster in Somerset West and the Sir Lowry’s Pass cellars.

The Helderberg route stretches pretty much from the Annandale road down to and including Somerset West, past Eikendal, Grangehurst and Longridge, Ken Forrester and Yonder Hill. The wineries on and off Annandale comprise a mini wine route that takes in Alto to Rust en Vrede and Guardian Peak to Ernie Els and Uva Mira. Whereas the dirt roads and cellars in the foothills of the Stellenbosch mountains to the south of the CBD, south of Kleine Zalze and Blaauwklippen, lead to Water­ford, Stellenzicht and De Trafford.

To the west of the town is Stellenboschkloof, from Overgaauw to Jordan, and the Polkadraai Hills (M12) road past Kanu, De Toren and Jacobsdal to Saxenburg and Zevenwacht in Kuils River. Devon Valley, featuring bubbly specialist JC le Roux, Clos Malverne and Middelvlei, and Jonkershoek Valley from Lanzerac to Neil Ellis and Stark-Condé, are also among the most manageable excursions if you’re clock-watching. And heading east out of the town on the R310 to Franschhoek, there’s Rustenberg before Helshoogte and Banghoek, with highlights off the pass including Tokara, Thelema and Zorgvliet. Brandy wise, the cellars to visit are Avontuur, Louiesenhof, Tokara, Uitkyk and Van Ryn.

REGISTERED WINE ESTATES
Banghoek Ward: Rainbow’s End
Bottelary Ward: Bellevue, Fort Simon, Goede Hoop,
Hartenberg, Kaapzicht, Mooiplaas
Devon Valley Ward: Devonvale, Middelvlei
Jonkershoek Valley Ward: Klein Gustrouw
Simonsberg Ward: Kanonkop, Le Bonheur, Lievland,
Morgenhof, Muratie, Quoin Rock, Remhoogte, Slaley,
Uitkyk, Vera Cruz (Delheim), Warwick
Other Estates: Alto, Asara, Avontuur, Bonfoi, DeWaal,
Dormershire, Eaglevlei, Jacobsdal, Jordan, Laibach,
L’Avenir, Lushof, Meerlust, Monterosso, Morgenster,
Mount Rozier, Neethlingshof, Overgaauw, Rust en Vrede,
Simonsig, Vergenoegd, Waterford, Wedderwill, Yonder Hill

For information about the various cellars, visit www.winemag.co.za or contact one of the following organisations:

Helderberg Tourism
Tel 021 851-4022, info@helderbergtourism.co.za
Helderberg Wine Route
Tel 021 852-6166, hwr@mweb.co.za www.helderbergwineroute.co.za

Stellenbosch Tourism Info Bureau
Tel 021 883-3584, info@stellenboschtourism.co.za
Stellenbosch Wine Routes
Tel 021 886-4310, info@wineroute.co.za www.wineroute.co.za

SA Brandy Foundation
Tel 021 887-3157, www.sabrandy.co.za

WHERE To EAT

• 96 Winery Road, Helderberg: casual Cape comfort food, Tel 021 842-2020
• Beads: elegant Mediterranean-inspired country fare, Tel 021 886-8734
• Café Dijon: French brasserie-style country cooking, Tel 021 886-7022
• D’vine @ Willowbrook, Somerset West: Mediterranean­ Asian melange with SA accents, Tel 021 851-3759
  Joostenberg Bistro, Koelenhof: organic and farm-fresh product prepared by a master, Tel 021 884-4208
• L’Auberge du Paysan, Helderberg: old-fashioned French gastro-museum, Tel 021 842-2008
• The Lucky Store: Cape comfort classics, Tel 021 887-2746
• Mon Plaisir, Bottelary: hearty terroir-related food, Tel 021 865-2456
• Pomegranate, Vergenoegd: uncomplicated produce­driven chic, Tel 021 843-3248
• Rust en Vrede: contemporary, deluxe take on the classics, Tel 021 881-3881
• Terroir, Kleine Zalze: robust French re-interpreted through Western Cape sensibilities, Tel 021 880-8167
• Tokara, Helshoogte: sensational French-SA mix, Tel 021 808-5959 Umami: classy and ambitious, knowledgeable and passionate, Tel 021 887-5204 De Volkskombuis: Cape Afrikaans cuisine, Tel 021 887-2121

 

Elsenburg, Klapmuts, Simonsberg... plus Simonsberg-Paarl, Paarl South, Simondium (259.71kb)

Koelenhof, Elsenburg, Klapmuts, Simonsberg... plus Simonsberg-Paarl, Simondium (242.32kb)

Bottelary, Devon Valley, Simonsberg, Stellenbosch Central, Stellenboschkloof (263.22kb)

Helshoogte & Banghoek, Simonsberg, Jonkershoek Valley, Stellenbosch Central (251.65kb)

Kuils River, Polkadraai Hills, Stellenboschkloof, Vlottenburg, Stellenbosch Central (244.52kb)

Jonkershoek Valley, Stellenbosch Mountain, Helderberg, Somerset West (269.43kb)

Faure, Firgrove, Helderberg, Somerset West (260.13kb)

Firgrove, Helderberg, Somerset West, Sir Lowry’s Pass (401.41kb)