One of our incredible experiences while in the Cape was a day spent at De Grendel Wine Estate.
De Grendel is a beautiful farm, a place synonymous with absolutely superb wines.Β Did you know that De Grendel means ‘latch’ or ‘lock’ in Dutch?Β The old ‘koetshuis’ or carriage house is situated on the farm, and before all of the freeways and roads were developed in the Western Cape, travellers would pass through this on their journey.
De Grendel is also one of Cape Town’s oldest farms, and stretches over almost 330 hectares!Β Not all of this is vineyards obviously, but they have beautiful stretches of field where you can find cows and sheep as well as Springbuck, Eland, Red Hartebeest and Bontebok. All of this, plus some pretty woodsy areas, and probably the most exquisite view of Table Mountain, Lion’s Head and Signal Hill.Β You can also find Proposal Hill on the farm – a small hill with a scenic view of the area, in 1939 Sir De Villiers Graaff proposed to his love Ena (but I’ll go more into this later on).
We were treated to a number of divine experiences – a farm tour of the De Grendel property and a cellar tour, followed by a wine tasting and the most delectable meal at the restaurant.
The farm tour, led by Douglas Swanson, is incredibly entertaining, with explanations about the different areas of the farm, and stories about the history of the farm and the Graaff family.Β We saw the pretty little chapel on the farm, with a graveyard where family members are buried, as well as the different buildings.Β We learned that De Grendel are experimenting with organic wine, and have a block dedicated to that. They are also growing blueberries at De Grendel.
It was also SO thrilling to learn how eco-conscious the farm is, and that De Grendel is also carbon negative!Β They also have a series of agricultural drains that capture storm water in the wet season that is sent to the dam.Β There are also a large number of solar panels on the farm, and a large amount of their power is generated by these.
These farm tours can be booked for just the one hour tour, but you can also book the tour to include a picnic.Β A beautiful idea for a day out.
We had a few minutes to spare before our cellar tour, so the lovely Simeon treated us to a tasting of the De Grendel Cap Classique Brut, a light bubbly with lots of fresh lemon and lime notes, with a gorgeous crisp green apple note.
Our cellar tour was with Morgan Steyn, a winemaker under De Grendel’s cellar master Charles Hopkins.Β Morgan was so knowledgeable on the winemaking process, and guided us through the cellar explaining the process and answering questions with ease.
We were able to taste 3 wines that are still being made at De Grendel – the Koetshuis Sauvignon Blanc, the Op Die Berg Pinot Noir and (most excitedly) the Baronet, their most premium wine that begins at R1500 a bottle depending on the vintage.Β Only 5 barrels are made per vintage, and we tasted the 2020 vintage, so it was still very new, but boy was it divine.
Then began our wine tasting!Β Simeon once again guided us through, and while we didn’t do the traditional premium or flagship tastings (as we were able to select which wines we’d like to taste), we instead asked him to bring us his De Grendel favourites.Β This is a great way to learn about wines that we otherwise possibly wouldn’t have tasted, but end up falling in love with.
Simeon started us off with Proposal Hill, the Cap Classique Brut RosΓ© that De Grendel launched last year, and I was lucky enough to receive then.Β This MCC is made with 100% Pinot Noir grapes, and has prominent notes of strawberries, a little black cherry and is crisp and dry with lovely fine bubbles.Β An absolute delight to drink, and one we plan on drinking every single Christmas Day going forward.
Why, you ask?Β Because it’s named for the little hill on the De Grendel farm I mentioned earlier.Β Nick proposed to me on Christmas Day 2016, and since we both really enjoy this MCC (not common, as Nick isn’t a huge fan of sparkling wine), we agreed to celebrate that special landmark moment of ours, by indulging in something that marks not only a physical landmark on the De Grendel farm, but something that was created to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the farm.Β Now THAT is a big landmark!
We then moved on to some white wines, the two De Grendel Sauvignon Blancs – their regular Sauvignon Blanc and the Koetshuis Sauvignon Blanc.Β Of the two, my favourite was the Sauvignon Blanc, as it’s delightfully tropical, with passionfruit, pear and lime on the nose, and lemongrass and ripe Granny Smith apples on the tongue.Β A delicious wine that’s (in my opinion) perfect for hot summer days spent soaking up the sun.Β The Koetshuis is much greener, with green peppers prominent on the nose along with pineapple and green melon on the palate. I can imagine this being fabulous served with a fresh mixed pepper-rich stirfry or a homestyle Chicken A La King.
On to the reds we went, starting with the De Grendel Merlot, a gorgeous ruby-toned wine filled with red, black and blue berries, along with a little liquorice and a light mocha note.Β We actually drank this wine on Christmas Day last year with our roast lunch.
Next up is my favourite varietal – Shiraz.Β De Grendel does a wickedly good Shiraz, with cassis and spices on the nose, while luscious berries were the first thing my tongue picked up.Β Softer tannis make this exceptionally easy drinking, and you’ll definitely want a second glass!
De Grendel has just release a brand new wine too – the Op Die Berg Syrah.Β Simeon treated us to a taste of this newbie, and it was divine.Β Classic spices that you instantly identify with Shiraz, but with a twist thanks to green herbs and rosemary.Β Once again the rich red berries are there, which made me constantly reach for another sip.Β Fabulous, and so elegant, a great wine to gift over the festive season – whether it’s to friends and family, or just to yourself.
Our final tasting was De Grendel’s flagship wine, Rubaiyat.Β My parents actually visited De Grendel earlier on this year on a trip to the Cape to visit my sister.Β My mom came home RAVING about the Rubaiyat, so I was super excited to give this wine a taste.Β Rubaiyat is a Bordeaux style blend, made up of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, and it was named after Omar Khayyam’s beautiful collection of 1000 Persian love poems from the 10th century.Β This was beloved by the late Sir David Graaff, and so each vintage showcases a different quatrain from the poem on it’s label (the four varietals that make up the blend are a nod to this).
This is one of the most beautifully rich, complex wines I’ve had the pleasure to sample, and it was complete and utter velvety bliss.Β With the romance behind it, it would be a beautiful wine to enjoy for an anniversary (not-so-subtle hint to Hubby there).
We would have LOVED to try the Three Spades Cider (yep, De Grendel also make a cider), but sadly they were out of stock at the time of our visit.Β Something to try on a future visit for sure, as it’s not something I’ve ever been able to find here in KwaZulu Natal.
After all of that delicious wine, it was most definitely time to put some food in our bellies, and we headed to lunch at the De Grendel restaurant.Β And boy – were we in for a treat, because I honestly think this was the best overall meal experience of our trip.
De Grendel uses seasonal and locally sourced fresh produce in their restaurant, and therefore their menu is regularly updated, and created with wines from the farm to complement each dish.Β Chef Ian Bergh whips up gorgeously presented meals that look almost too beautiful to eat – I say ALMOST, because we tucked into each dish with relish, and they were all as delectable as could be.
We were joined by Righard Theron from De Grendel for lunch, and I managed to snap ALL of our dishes, so please take a browse through our dishes below, and I’ve described each one below the image.
preserved figs, jus
fine green beans, avocado, marinated anchovies, quail egg
bΓ©arnaise
citrus zezt
How utterly scrumptious did all of these meals look?Β I’m drooling just remembering our lunch that day, and am so eager to go back to De Grendel for another meal!
We truly had the most blissful day at De Grendel, and if we lived in the Cape it would definitely be a favourite spot where we’d gather at least once a month.Β They’ve marked themselves as a ‘must visit’ for each time we’re in Cape Town now!Β A big thank you to the whole team who made our morning and afternoon what it was.
Just to summarise, here is some info about each experience we enjoyed at De Grendel: –
Farm Tour info
Farm Tour for 2 = R500 (10% discount when booking for or more people if you belong to the Loyalty Club)
Farm Tour for 2 incl picnic = R900 (Wed-Sun)
Bookings essential one day in advance viaΒ douglas@degrendel.co.za
Cellar Tour info
Cellar tours are available every weekday at 11h00 by appointment only*. The cellar tour costs R100 per personΒ and includes a tasting of 3 wines and a guided tour through the cellar.
To make a booking, emailΒ tasting@degrendel.co.za or call 021 558 6280.
*Not available during harvest time & over weekends.
Wine Tasting info
Premium Tasting:Β R100 orΒ Flagship Tasting:Β R120
Wine tasting is FREE forΒ De Grendel Loyalty Club members and a guest. To join the Loyalty Club, simply buy 18 bottles of De Grendel wine or spend R2000 or more on your wine purchase online or at the estate.
Wednesday to Sunday Lunch & Dinner Set Menu
2 Course Set Menu R435 per person
3 Course Set Menu R475 per person
Email restaurant@degrendel.co.za Β or call 021 558 6280 to make reservations.
Have you seen my other posts from our trip to the Cape?Β Why don’t you check out another here: –
HISTORICAL LUXURY AT THE VICTORIA AND ALFRED HOTEL
