Another go-as-you-please day that can be tailored by your resident wine expert is an outing created exclusively for families with little ones in tow.
Take in the sites and spectacular scenery of the Winelands with your private guide as you make your way through superb mountain ranges, vineyards, and Cape Dutch homesteads. Today sample a selection of some of the finest wine estates and top-notch ‘family-friendly’ estates. From sessions that include a tasty food pairing - think chocolate and cheese - to ones preceded by a Segway tour, there’s definitely something to suit every age (and palate).
With award-winning wine and delicious food on offer, a wine tasting at Spier is one of the most popular options in the Stellenbosch area. Here, the chocolate and wine pairing is a particular highlight which, as the name suggests, sees the farm’s signature Méthode Cap Classique and Creative Block blends complemented by specially curated chocolates. Children are offered a special grape juice tasting and for something totally different, the 2-hour Segway tour (additional cost) is highly recommended.
Middlevlei in the Devon Valley is genuinely relaxed and down to earth – a great antidote to stuffy wine farms. Go for the boerebraai (traditional South African barbecue) where kids receive a special basket with treats including a ‘stokbrood’ - a bread they can cook themselves over the open flames. Little ones are encouraged to run wild on the lawns and feed the farm animals – look out for the wallabies – and no-one will look twice at muddy feet. With an outdoor wooden deck and a generous fireplace, Mulderbosch’s tasting room can facilitate tastings in both the warmer and colder months. But what makes a session at the vineyard truly special is that you can pair its full range of wines (up to five per session) with delicious, thin-based, wood-fired pizzas or the cheese board.
At Laborie’s Harvest restaurant in Paarl, you’re guaranteed an excellent meal with a table near the jungle gym keeping the little ones busy, while the older kids (and their parents) enjoy playing boulles on the lawns. A mere 45-minute drive from Cape Town, Spice Route’s delightful village set-up in Paarl is the perfect day out for the whole family. There’s a craft brewery that offers an ultra-slick beer tasting, Wilderer distillery for grappa, an art gallery, a glass-blowing studio, a biltong bar…and more! The most popular activity is the guided chocolate tasting at DV Artisan Chocolate.
The Franschhoek Motor Museum offers visitors a special opportunity to look back at more than 100 years of motoring history with its unique and exciting collection of vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles, and memorabilia in the magnificent setting of L’Ormarins. The museum's collection exceeds 220 vehicles - ranging from a 1898 Beeston motor tricycle to a 2003 Ferrari Enzo supercar. More than 80 exhibits are on view at any one time, displayed in four de-humidified halls with a total floor area of 2700 m², and presented in chronological order.
This day is yours to tailor and craft as you choose. Enjoy lunch at one of the family-friendly restaurants or estates (lunch to be settled directly but wine tastings included). Return to your hotel late this afternoon.