Mooiplaas

This winery is on Bottelary Road on the outskirts of Stellenbosch. This road of wineries is one of my favourites in Stellenbosch because it is not on the main drag, so they are usually quiet when you visit them, they are old, traditional and rustic. I actually find it quite sad that more marketing is not done to get more people to the wineries on this road as they are true gems to visit.

Please note the photos on this page are from the internet as I cannot find the photos I took on my visit.

Mooiplaas was one of those wineries I was putting off visiting because it is a mass producing, commercial winery. But finally I decided today that it was time to visit.

The winery is very nice with the horses on the estate, the option to enjoy a picnic outside on the lawn under the trees and you can sit inside or outside for a tasting.

What started my experience off wrong here is that the lady in the tasting room was busy doing some sort of admin, oh yes, she was paying staff at the time, so I was asked to wait. I waited about 5 minutes and finally was given a price list and explained how the wine tasting works here. It costs R10 to taste 4 wines here and R50 to taste the MCC.

I then asked the lady, as we can only taste four wines, which would she recommend tasting. This is how I ended up tasting the following wines:

Langtafel White 2013 at R40 a bottle. It is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Semillon. It was quite smooth on the palate, had nice fruity flavours and a slightly acidic, fresh finish. This wine was nice.

Mooiplaas Chenin Blanc 2012 at R60 a bottle had an old musky and fruity smell, it was quite thin with no body, and was smooth. I didn't really like this wine.

Mooiplaas Pinotage 2012 at R69 a bottle was very soft. It is quite light, easy drinking, had slight chocolate tones and was fruity. This wine was ok.

Langtafel Red 2012 at R40 a bottle is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Shiraz. It had a Christmas fruit, earthy, poey, and prune aroma. It was fruity, easy drinking, a little dry on the finish and a nice wine. I felt this wine was value for money.

I have to say, I was pretty disappointed with the wine here. I think this winery is a nice option if you want to enjoy a picnic on a winery and easy drinking wine for low prices.

Service was not so friendly nor did the staff know much about the wine. As always, this has an affect on my overall experience and opinion of a winery.

On the back of the price list I see they have a number of activities to enjoy on the farm also. These include the following:

Picnic by reservation only at R220 a basket which is for 2 people.

The Langtafel Luncheon at R275 pp. "Join the Roos family in the manor house for an unforgettable experience. Welcome drinks, canapes, 3 course lunch/dinner and 6 wines included".

Supper in the Cellar at R150 pp. A wine tasting hosted in the cellar followed by a light supper.

Private Cellar Tastings at R25 pp. Tutored tasting in the Mooiplaas maturation cellar.

Mooiplaas Nature Reserve Hikes at R50 pp.

Horse riding is by appointment.

They have guest accommodation on the farm. It is self catering and sleeps two adults. In low season you pay R600 pn and in high season you pay R750 per night.

I personally wouldn't recommend visiting this winery as there are others on this road I would recommend over this one. However, if you have time to visit them all, then you might as well visit this place. If it is a nice day, perhaps reserve a picnic to enjoy under the trees.

Middlevlei

This was my second visit to Middlevlei. The last time I came here was for a fun run/walk with a wine tasting afterwards. It was over two years ago so I figured it was time I revisited the place.

Lizzie Groenewald is the tasting room manager here at Middlevlei and conducted the tasting with me. She had a group outside enjoying a tasting and boere braai while I was there, but she managed both groups smoothly. Lizzie was able to provide an informative tasting, was polite, professional and friendly, which made for an enjoyable experience here at Middlevlei.

The tasting room is in a simple building as you can see below however it is on a lovely farm with lovely views and farm animals to look at, adding charm and character to the place.

To taste wine here costs R15 pp for 5 wines. You can enjoy a boere braai for R145 pp or a light braai at R75 pp - for both these options you need to book at least 24 hours in advance. On Fridays they do pot brood (I am actually not sure what this is) and burgers. With either of these options you get a glass of wine all for R75. If you want something even lighter, then you can enjoy a braai broodjie at R15 each. I enjoyed a braai broodjie when I visited this place last time and it was delicious!! If you are from overseas and won't have the opportunity of eating braai food while in SA, then this is a must. A braai is the SA version of a BBQ and the braai broodjie is a toasted sandwich which usually has sliced tomatoe, onion and cheese inside. Braais are a true part of SA culture and a visit to SA without a braai is like going to NZ without enjoying a pie, fish n chips, tip top ice cream and a hangi.

While here, I tasted the Chardonnay 2013 at R59 a bottle. It had strong buttery, butterscotch and honey tones. Medium-full bodied wine yet it is unoaked. It was delicious and very much value for money.

Pinotage/Merlot 2012 was R69 a bottle. It was fruit driven, soft, a little dry on the finish. It had a lingering fruity finish, was nice, good quality and yet easy drinking.

Free Run Pinotage 2012 at R89 a bottle was smooth and soft. It felt lighter than the Pinotage/Merlot but is light-medium bodied. It was fruity and a little dry on the finish. I prefered the Pinotage/Merlot.

Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 at R98 a bottle had hints of mint and eucalyptus on the nose and palate. This wine was dry.

Shiraz 2012 at R98 a bottle had nice spiciness on the nose. It was a little sweet, fruity and spicy on the palate.

Momberg 2011 is R225 a bottle and I believe it is not normally for tasting, but if you show real interest in the wines they will open one for you to taste. This is a blend of 35% Shiraz, 28% Pinotage, 24% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon. It spent 15 months in barrel with 50% in new oak and the other 50% in 2nd fill barrels. It had a beautiful nose, was a little sweet on the palate, soft and smooth. I could taste the Pinotage in this wine with its slight chocolate hints. It is a medium bodied wine. It has an interesting mix of flavours. It has 10 years aging potential.

I have enjoyed my experience at this winery on both ocassions and therefore can recommend this winery. I would highly recommend tying your visit with a braai!!

Avondale

Today we went to Avondale to collect a bottle of wine for market research for my work. I am so glad this brought me out here to discover such a fantastic winery.

The place is beautiful and the setting is lovely. The building is nice, the garden is nice, the interior of the place is elegant and beautiful and the tasting room is grand.

 
The service here was very good, the lady was friendly and welcoming.

We had a very nice tasting here. I thoroughly enjoyed the Rose here!! I bought a bottle and have still not opened it yet. It is pricy but I do think its worth it.