Old charm at Webersburg

2 Aug 2016

Webersburg, one of the oldest wine estates in South Africa is still looking pretty good for 219-years-old. Nestled on the slopes of the Helderberg Mountain just outside of Stellenbosch, this boutique estate boasts traditional Cape Dutch style buildings and cellars, however, it stays youthful with the addition of trendy wine tasting room and bistro.

We spent a night in one of the Jonkerhuis rooms, an original Cape Dutch building that includes kitchen, living room, bedroom with four poster bed and en suite bathroom. I have to say, first impressions were that the rooms were quite dark and cold, in fact it was far warmer outside than inside, making me feel that this stay might be better suited to gloomy days with the heating turned up. However, the early morning sun streamed in through the windows the following morning making Jonkerhuis feel far more cosy and friendly.

Winning wine

We were thankfully blessed with sunny, warm weather during the stay and took full advantage of this with wine tasting on the deck of the Bistro which overlooks an impossibly picturesque dam housing many ducks and geese. We sampled all three of the Webersburg wines: the 2014 Sauvignon Blanc, a light gooseberry tasting Sauvignon; the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, a bold, full-bodied wine; and my favourite of the three, the smooth 2013 Red Blend. The winemaker and viticulturist Matthew Van Heerden has been nominated as one of the top 10 winemakers in the world, so you can be assured that these are all top tasting wines.

Afterwards, we went for a light stroll around the estate taking in the sights of the dam and buffalo pen (apparently the owner enjoys raising these fine beasts), as well as narrowly avoiding an attack from a feisty goose.

Eggs with a view

The estate doesn’t offer dinner, only breakfast and lunch, so we took advantage of the adequately equipped self-catering kitchen that night. However, we were happy enough to head down for breakfast at the Bistro the following morning. A light array of the usual continental breakfast fare was on offer as well as à la carte options. We both settled on the Eggs Benedict, which were lightly poached and generously covered in Hollandaise sauce. A tasty little ending to a pleasant stay.