Nothing beats a weekend in the Cape Winelands, especially if you get to stay at Alluvia Wine Estate. Nestled in the Helshoogte Valley between Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, Alluvia is the perfect place to spend a romantic weekend and a great base to explore the surrounding area.
On arrival, I knew I had found a slice of paradise. The views or the mountains and vineyards from each room and the calm environment made me relax immediately and I knew I wouldn’t have to worry about anything for the rest of the weekend.
Each room has a spacious bedroom and en suite bathroom with a luxuriously big bathtub. The private verandas are a great place to enjoy the complimentary decanter of sherry at sunset.
Apart from offering a beautiful setting for all-out relaxation, Alluvia also has plenty of activities to keep you busy, from fishing in the dam, playing the one-hole golf course to walking the farm and wine tastings by arrangement.
There is no restaurant on the estate, but a yummy breakfast basket is provided at a time of your choosing. It comes with a continental breakfast of croissants, muffins, yogurt muesli and fresh fruit. Enjoy it in bed, on your private veranda or next to the dam – anywhere you choose.
As a boutique wine estate, Alluvia doesn’t boast the wide range of wines that many of its neighbours do, but it more than makes up for it with the pure deliciousness of their wine and beautiful surroundings. Their most famous wine is Sandie, a straw wine named after wine maker and owner Delarey Brugman’s wife. Viognier grapes are laid out in the sun on straw mats until they are shrivelled and deliciously sweet – only then are they pressed for their juice to produce a wine of outstanding quality. Even if you dislike dessert wine, you won’t be able to resist this. Other wines thy produce include the Ilka Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc (Ilka is the combination of the Brugman’s twin daughters’ names – Ilse and Karla), the Lisa Cabernet Franc (named after their youngest daughter) and the Give Me a Chance Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Give Me a Chance Foundation (www.givemeachance.co.za) supports promising, underprivileged children in the area.
Alluvia Wine Estate
For a taste of the winelands good life, contact Alluvia on tel 021-885-1661 or email, [email protected], www.alluvia.co.za.
B&B rooms start from R650 a person a night. Self-catering cottages from R1800 (sleeps four)
