The Perfect Wine Weekend in Stellenbosch

Oh Stellenbosch, how I love thee. As South Africa’s second oldest town and a well-renowned destination for all things food, art, wine, and culture, Stellenbosch is a great day trip or weekend getaway option if you’re visiting Cape Town (only 30 miles from the city). Surrounded by the lush vineyards of the Cape Winelands, our two days in this lively University town and wine hub was one of the highlights of our trip to South Africa…so much so that we seriously talk about moving and retiring in Stellenbosch one day. If you like food, wine, and beautiful landscapes (without the fuss or price that comes with a place like Napa Valley; no offense Napa, I still love you), then read on to discover the best places for spending the perfect wine weekend in Stellenbosch.

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Sugarbird Manor

While it’s possible to do a day trip to Stellenbosch from Cape Town, I’d recommend staying overnight if you can – this allows you to make the most of your visit (plus, you’ll likely be drinking wine so you can relax more and avoid a longer commute).

We stayed in Sugarbird Manor while visiting Stellenbosch and loved our time there. Situated on a farm that cultivates protea flowers and wine grapes, this stylish guesthouse is situated on the outskirts of Stellenbosch and provides easy access to wine country. My favorite part about our stay in Sugarbird Manor was the fact that it was a working farm (don’t be alarmed if the resident cats cuddle with you while you’re lounging around the breakfast area), they served a delicious homecooked breakfast (get the french toast and the fritters!), and the property had a lovely infinity pool that overlooked the valley.

Spier Wine Farm

Another great place to stay while visiting Stellenbosch is Spier Wine Farm. Although we didn’t stay in Spier Wine Farm, we spent plenty of time on the property…and the next time I visit Stellenbosch I will definitely book a stay there because it’s just so darn charming! Complete with a winery, a working farm, expansive gardens, and hotel rooms in beautifully restored heritage Dutch buildings, it’s a place where you can easily spend an entire day and be entertained.

One of the most unique things to do in Stellenbosch is to take a Segway tour through the farmlands and vineyards at Spier. We booked a two-hour Segway tour and wine tasting, and the tour took us through their bio-dynamic farming area where we got up-close-and-personal with livestock (I swear, there were hundreds of chickens racing toward us and it was a bit like a horror movie…but also a good laugh), and got to glide through the vineyards and enjoy the surrounding mountainous landscape and Eerste River.

Spier offers both a one-hour and two-hour Segway tour. Although there was a large group of people doing tours, Kevin and I were the only ones who booked the two-hour one, so we got a personal tour of the property and got to move at faster speeds on our Segways. It was so much fun! Our tour guide told us all about the history of Spier (it’s one of South Africa’s oldest dated cellars), and helped us take lots of photos and videos of us jetting around livestock, riding up lush mountain trails, and navigating through narrow vineyard lanes. At the end of it all, we were then treated to a nice wine tasting of 3 pre-selected Spier wines in the lounge area. I can honestly say that Spier Wine is one of my favorite wine brands now, and we’re lucky enough to live close to a wine shop that imports their wine!

While at Spier Wine Farm, we also had dinner at Vadas Smokehouse, and it was one of our favorite meals from our trip to South Africa. This on-site restaurant specializes in barbecue platters and small plates featuring local and seasonal ingredients. It’s also famous for it’s delicious pasteis de natas (if you’ve been following this blog, you’ll know that I have a bit of an obsession). See here and here. There was just something so wonderful about ending our day by sitting on the outdoor terrace under the dim lighting of romantic string bulbs, while dining on pork ribs, grilled fish, and creamy custard pastries.

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Delaire Graff Wine Estate

The Delaire Graff Wine Estate is another must-visit while in Stellenbosch. The Delaire Graff Wine Estate is a winery, a luxury hotel lodge, an esteemed garden, and fine-dining restaurant. Located on the high Helshoogte Mountain Pass, this lush estate oozes luxury and the wine is consistently rated as some of the best in South Africa. We spent a late morning lounging at the estate and enjoyed a tasting of three wines (and a delectable cheese plate) from the outdoor terrace. It’s worth noting that the atmosphere at Delaire Graff was a bit more ‘hoity toity’ compared to Spier (in case that might not be your scene), but the wines were excellent and the views incredible.

Babylonstoren

Next stop: Babylonstoren, which is one of the oldest Cape Dutch farms located in the Franschoek wine valley. While you can stay and dine at Babylonstoren (they have a highly-rated farm-to-table restaurant that we really wanted to dine at, but the restaurant was closed for an event while we were visiting), we spent the majority of time roaming Babylonstoren’s botanical garden. Featuring over 300 varieties of plants, every plant in the garden is edible and/or has medicinal value, and is also grown as organically and biologically sustainable as possible. My favorite stop was the prickly pear maze!

Babylonstoren also features a cute farm shop where you can purchase gourmet foods from the cheese and meat rooms, or a greenhouse café serving baked goods from their on-site bakery. If you have time to spare, Babylonstoren also hosts regular workshops where you can learn arts and crafts such as how to make homemade botanical soaps, bake your own bread from scratch, or visit beehives and learn about Cape honey production.

Warwick Wine Estate

Our last stop in Stellenbosch was the Warwick Wine Estate. Located in the foothills of Simonsberg Mountain, this beautiful estate offers a variety of tastings, picnics, as well as ‘vineyard safaris’ where trained safari guides take you on an open-top tour through the vineyards. Although we didn’t have time to take part in the safari, we did enjoy a wine tasting and decadent evening picnic. Imagine sitting out on an expansive lawn at sunset, sipping on a glass of red wine, and enjoying a variety of salads, bread rolls, cured meats and cheeses, pâtés, and pastries….it was a truly memorable way to end a perfect wine weekend in Stellenbosch. And hopefully our dream of moving to Stellenbosch for a couple of months comes true someday!