PHOTOS John Macgregor (Buitenverwachting), Danie Nel (Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines), Charles Russel (Delaire Graff)

We’ve compiled a selection of some of the most beautiful tasting rooms in the Western Cape to while away the hours come rain or shine. Offering more than just tastings, our top picks provide lean-back luxury.

16 Tasting Rooms for Wine Lovers

Babylonstoren 

(Est. 2015)

Interior and architecture: Project-managed by TV3 Architects

Open: The Garden is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm. Enjoy charcuterie and cheese platters with fresh fruit and vegetables from the garden. Booking is advised for groups of more than 11 people.

Experience… The cost of wine tasting starts at R180 per person for seven wines (Flagship wines can be added to your tasting at an additional cost). An express tasting of three wines is also available at R80 per person. Guests are seated on a first-come, first-served basis. Daily cellar tours at 10 am, 1pm or 4pm, which includes a tasting at R550 per person. Booking is essential. | babylonstoren.com

Buitenverwachting 

(Est. 2016 (main tasting room); 2017 (vintage wine library, Enotecca))

Interior and architecture: Nic Tamlin

Open: Daily from 10 am to 4 pm in season. The main tasting room offers charcuterie platters and quiches; reservation is not required. Beyond requires booking and offers a full restaurant menu.

Experience… A tasting of 5 pre-selected vintages for R100 per person. | buitenverwachting.com

Cavalli 

(Est. 2013)

Interior: Cavalli’s owner and managing director Lauren Smith / Architecture: Lauren Smith and Bouwer Architects

Open: Wine tasting on Wednesday and Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner from Wednesday to Saturday, and for lunch on Sunday.

Experience… Tasting Room (R175 per person): Taste 6 of Cavalli’s premium wines. | cavalliestate.com

De Toren Private Cellar

(Est. 1994)

Interior: Penrose Interior & Projects

Open: Monday – Friday from 10 am to 4 pm. There are an array of new wine tasting experiences and tours to choose from – Premium Tasting, Luxury Tour & Tasting, and the Icon Tour and Tasting – which cater to all tastes and interest levels, from aspiring connoisseurs to wine aficionados

Experiences… Luxury Tasting (R250 per person): The Premium Tasting allows you to discover the story of De Toren whilst tasting three of the estate’s premium red blends: De Toren Délicate, De Toren Edition Z and De Toren Fusion V.

Icon Tour & Tasting (R950 per person): This experience is hosted by a senior member of the De Toren team and delves into the estate’s unique winemaking philosophy and processes. It is accompanied by an exclusive tasting of all five of De Toren’s iconic wines: De Toren Délicate, De Toren Edition Z, De Toren Fusion V, Book XVII, De Toren Patronus and The Black Lion. Booking is essential. | de-toren.com

Delaire Graff Wine Lounge 

(Est. 2009)

Interior: David Collins Studio / Architecture Derick Henstra, DHK

Open: Monday to Thursday and Saturday from 10 am to 6pm, Friday and Sunday from 10 am to 5pm. Snacks are available and booking is not required. Tasting start at R120 per person.

Experience… Grab a map at reception and explore Delaire Graff Estate at your leisure. | delaire.co.za

L’avenir 

(Est. 2014)

Interior and architecure: In-house

Open: Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm. Charcuterie and cheese platters are available. No reservation is required, except for the exclusive older vertical tastings.

Experience… The popular carpaccio pairing featuring ostrich, springbok and crocodile. Stay at the four-star lodge. | lavenirestate.co.za

Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines 

(Est. 2016)

Interior: Analjit Singh Architecture: Tomeu Esteva

Open: Daily from 10 am to 5 pm. Booking is essential.

Experience… Mullineux Single Terroir Tasting (R460 for 4 wines): Taste highly rated terroir-specific wines from the Swartland. Some may be sold out but are still available for tasting should you wish to get your name on an allocation list for future releases. | mlfwines.com

Maison 

(Est. 2011)

Interior and architecture: Spaces (the interior design division of Weylandts Home Outfitters, overseen by Chris Weylandt, owner of Maison Estate)

Open: Daily from 10 am to 5 pm. Deli menu available. Reservations required for large groups.

Experience… Chefs Warehouse at Maison. Booking is essential. It is open Wednesday to Monday for lunch and Wednesday to Saturday for dinner. | maisonestate.com

Rupert & Rothschild 

(Est. 1998)

Interior: Christiaan Barnard Interior & Design Stellenbosch / Architecture: Malherbe Rust Architects

Open: Monday to Friday 10 am to 4.30 pm, Saturday and Sunday 10 am to 4 pm.

Experience… The Rupert & Rothschild Wine and Food Pairing. Booking is essential. | rupert-rothschildvignerons.com

Newstead 

(Est. 2013)

Interior and architecture: Owners Sue and Doug Lund, with assistance from Draftech

Open: Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm in season. Tastings don’t require reservations, but lunches do. (They start taking bookings for high season a year in advance.)

Experience… The legendary 11-egg chocolate cake and the double-gold award-winning Rosé and Brut bubbles, which are pre-sold. | newsteadwines.com

Rust En Vrede 

(Est. 1985, with a revamp in 2014)

Interior and architecture: In-house (cellar roof designed by Gawie Fagan)

Open: Daily from 9 am to 5 pm.

Experience… The Winemaker’s Lunch, a daily first-come, first-served two option menu to accompany the wines, served between 12 pm and 3 pm in the tasting room. | rustenvrede.com

Saronsberg 

(Est. 2004)

Interior: In-house / Architecture: John Doyle

Open Weekdays 8 am to 5 pm, Saturday 10 am to 2 pm and Sunday 10 am to 1 pm.

Experience… Taste all wines for R150 – tasting is complimentary when you spend R300 or more. Stay over at one of the self-catering cottages. | saronsberg.com

Steenberg 

(Est. 2009)

Interior and architecture: Richard Perfect Architects / Architecture Jan Desseyn Architects and Richard Perfect Architects

Open: Daily from 10 am to 6 pm. Booking required. Cheese and wine pairings available upon request.

Experience… the Cool Climate Excellence tasting of the estate’s four flagship wines at R250 per person. | steenbergfarm.com

Springfield 

(Est. 2005)

Interior In-house Architecture Christof Albertyn

Open: Weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm, Saturday and public holidays from 9 am to 3 pm.

Experience… Tastings are R100 per person for any 5 wines. Groups of 8 or more must book. | springfieldestate.com

Waterkloof 

(Est. 2009)

Interior Frank Böhm Studio Architecture Castle Rock Design

Open: The Tasting Lounge is open from Wednesday to Sunday between 10 am to 4:30 pm. Booking is essential. The Waterkloof Platter for two has a selection of cured meats, cheeses and preserves.

Experience… Booking a tasting at the estate is essential – a snack menu is available including local cheese and charcuterie, and you can purchase bottles and cases of the wines on offer. | waterkloofwines.co.za

De Grendel

(Est. 2004)

Interior Linda Graaff

Open: The tasting room is open from Monday to Sunday between 9am to 5pm, and from 10am to 4pm on Sundays and public holidays. Booking is essential.

Experience… the Heritage Tasting, the farm’s flagship tasting, is R170 and includes some of De Grendel’s limited production wines like the Rubaiyat and Op Die Berg Syrah. | degrendel.co.za

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The post 16 Tasting Rooms in the Western Cape You Must Visit appeared first on Visi.

We sampled Beyond, celebrated chef Peter Tempelhoff’s new restaurant at Buitenverwachting wine farm in Cape Town.

Sustainable, seasonal produce cooked simply is how Peter Tempelhoff describes the philosophy of his latest restaurant. That said, anyone who has experienced Peter’s sublime Japanese-fusion fare at FYN will take that with just the tiniest pinch of salt. Simpler, yes – but Beyond is more about a fresh take on tradition than “cooked simply”.

“We’re going back to the roots of the restaurant,” Peter says, “and simultaneously redefining the meaning of ‘restaurant’ as a place of restauration.” That, for the linguists, is the archaic form of “restoration” – a feeling you’re likely to experience just sitting in this restaurant with glass walls that overlook Buitenverwachting’s vineyards on the slopes of the Constantiaberg.

We arrived just as the sun was setting, the floor-to- ceiling glass casting a soft light over an interior designed by Tristan du Plessis. He was behind the interior at FYN that perfectly mirrored the innovative Japanese/African menu – the beautiful Japanese abacus-inspired ceiling installation being the standout. And once again, his treatment here is sympathetic to the subject matter.

Far from the sumptuous decadence of his award- winning Alice & Fifth in Sandton, Beyond sees Tristan applying a lighter touch. Raw umber, green and rich olive-upholstered seating works with patinaed brass detailing and light woods to create an ambience of simple elegance that changes to a cosier mood as twilight turns to night.

Turning our attention to an ingredient-centric menu that revolves around free-range, extra-matured rare-breed cattle, site-specific Karoo lamb, heirloom organic vegetables and sustainable small fish, we chose the truffle- filled burrata cheese (R147) and the Durban prawns (R140) as our two starters. Both were light and intensely flavourful; the burrata cheese was served with organic beets, charred peach and hazelnut crumble, while the prawns came on a bed of tandoori cauliflower steak, sultanas and almonds, with a coconut bisque.

The main course of ancient-grain risotto with wood- fired butternut, pumpkin oil, crispy sesame kale, romesco sauce and pickled Cape May honey (R175) lost me at kale – but my veggie-fan partner loved it. I went for the 60-day- aged Limousin beef (R250). The tender cut was perfectly cooked and enhanced by the accompanying brandy cream mushrooms, ponzu onions and a sourdough crouton jus.

“Ingredients are the soul of this restaurant,” says Peter. “If I could choose a quote to sum up the philosophy behind the food at Beyond, it would be something Marco Pierre White said: ‘Mother Nature is the true artist; we are just cooks.’”

I reckon you’re underselling yourself a little there, Pete.

Looking for more? Here are 14 tasting rooms in the Western Cape you should visit.

The post Cool Spaces: Beyond at Buitenverwachting appeared first on Visi.