Five years ago, when my mum and I rolled into Stellenbosch, I was in a terrible mood. It was towards the end of our trip, I was exhausted, antsy to go home, and I didn’t understand why my mum(the driver for the trip) and I (newly 16 and no interest in drinking) HAD to go to Stellenbosch. My mum quoted our guide book, “beautiful vineyards, incredible views, and the producers of a unique Pinotage grape,” and if I’m being honest, I was even more pissed. A town entirely focused on wine?? I wasn’t even old enough to drink. What the fuck. I had visions of following my mum around winery after winery, with each one spouting the same things about notes, grapes, and (if I was fortunate) occasionally a bowl of pretzels. It was our last few days before flying out (I had been there for almost 3 months and was reasonably homesick by then) and I just wanted to stay in cape town; yeah, you always had to be on your toes, but at least they had penguins. Was I being an absolute brat? Oh, 100%. Sorry, mom.
Needless to say, Stellenbosch had its heart set on changing my mind. The wine tour I tagged along on, though very sober, wasn’t the tasting room to tasting room scripted march I thought it would be, but instead allowed us to walk through the cellars, discuss the actual process of winemaking with the highly educated staff of each farm, and even taught us a few things about farming grapes. The town itself was vibrant, student-driven, and one of the only places we felt safe to walk alone through. The food was heavily influenced by the availability of local produce and meats, and it was all around one of my favourite parts of my trip.
So, needless to say, when we decided to go back, we knew one thing; we needed more time in Stellenbosch.
We chose to stay just off the main road at the Fynbos Villa Guesthouse. It was five minutes from the botanical gardens, had a great little outdoor space for braiing(which we took advantage of on new year’s eve), and was about ten minutes from the main shopping and dining district. It was also gated, so we felt very safe-even walking home after dinner in the dark. We would recommend it if you’re looking for somewhere to stay with fantastic staff, beautiful rooms, and easy access to the town.
While you’re there, be sure not to miss the Stellenbosch Botanical Gardens. Free for students, it only takes an hour or so to walk through and has a vast diversity of plant life.
I’ve always been biased to water lilies, and as a result, was drawn to the water gardens.
The paths through the denser planted rainforest-esque areas make it easy to forget that you’re in the middle of a city.
Stellenbosch has some really fantastic shopping too; my brother basically got an entirely new wardrobe, and I picked up a dress for an upcoming formal and some new shoes. While not necessarily cheap, the stuff is pretty unique, with stores focusing on local artists and designers, and leather goods being locally produced for the most part.
And, of course, you really can’t go to Stellenbosch without doing a wine tour. The vineyards are truly stunning, and all the staff are incredibly educated on the processes. Between the two trips, we’ve visited our fair share of wineries, and of the ones we visited, I’d recommend the following
Tokara: a beautiful estate with both wine and olive oil tastings, this was one of the more memorable ones from our 2015 trip.
Camberley: This was a really wild experience, as my mum and I were the only ones there that day, and they have some stunning labels. We actually bought bottles from both Tokara and Camberley and brought them home to age, a fantastic ‘souvenir’ to enjoy years later. The 5 years out pinotage vintages are genuinely excellent.
Kanonkop: This, along with Tokara, are pretty commercial. The wines are lovely and it’s a fun cellar set up, but be ready to battle the crowds. They didn’t have anything that really jumped out at me, but the pinotage rose was easy to drink and friendly even for the least wine-oriented people.
Muratie: really cool background and the history of the wines, labels, and the estate itself make for an entertaining storytime. The dessert wine is good (surprising for me, as I’m not typically a fan) and the cellar space is well-curated. Outdoor seating, with really nice views. Plus, the dogs are sweethearts.
Botanica: First of all, I have to say upfront that Ginny Povall is a badass. A woman in a man’s world and thriving, her beautiful protea farm and the fantastic wines she produces illustrate her success in the best possible way. If you have the chance to visit, jump on the opportunity-you won’t regret it. I really loved the Chenin Blanc and the Rose, personally. Additionally, due to the beautiful labels, these wines would make fantastic souvenirs.
Almost every vineyard boasts beautiful views, and it’s not hard to understand why; between the mountains and the ocean, Stellenbosch is filled to the brim with breathtaking views. If you’re not interested in exploring the city itself, many of the wineries also have guest houses attaches, and it wouldn’t hurt to investigate if that’s more your travel style.
Let me know if you visited any of these, and your favourite part of Stellenbosch!
