Wedding anniversaries are one of the few times in year when we make a plan to get away for a day or two, just us two! We recently celebrated our 16th (if you can believe it!) with a night away in the winelands. On our way back to Cape Town to return to our normal programming (kids, school runs, work, meetings, traffic et al) we stopped off for one last spoil…
Neethlingshof Wine Estate is situated in the Stellenbosch Winelands just near the junction of the R310 (the road from the N2/ Baden Powell) and the Polkadraai Road (you can’t miss the avenue of pine trees) and we figured we should enjoy a quick lunch before heading back to reality!
We meandered our way up this iconic avenue of towering pines and found ourselves in the wine tasting area where we met up with Keenan who took us on a short tour of the estate and the cellar…
After exploring the extensive cellars with Keenan as our guide, we found ourselves outside enjoying a sunshiney spot on the patio beneath an ancient oak…. the perfect place to sit down to enjoy their new food and wine pairing menu.
Neethlingshof is passionate about food and wine pairing and have recently launched their Flash Food and Slow Wine Pairing Menu at The Tasting Centre.
This menu comprises of five bite-sized snacks paired with five delicious wines.
Think Sauvignon Blanc with a salmon and trout roulade, the iconic Gewurztraminer with a beef samoosa and a mini Malva pudding served with The Caracal.
Within minutes our food and wine were presented to us on a beautifully prepared board and we set to work sampling their finest wines and choosing our favourite pairing….
My favourite pairing of the afternoon was, to my surprise, the Gewurztraminer with the beef samoosa. I’m not a big fan of this cultivar of wine so was reluctant to taste it at first. But my husband encouraged me to give it a go and I was very plesantly surprised by how the pairing of the spicy samoosa elevated the Gewurztraminer wine! It really sold me on the fact that some wines are just so much better when paired with the right food rather than sipped on their own.
We didn’t come with our kids this time but if you’re planning on visiting with the family you’ll be pleased to know that there is also a kids pairing menu with a mini chicken pancake and cheese burger paired with grape juice as well as a chocolate sponge finger server with a chocolate milkshake!
And if, like us, you have a healthy appetite and find yourself still a bit peckish after the pairing menu, you’ll be pleased to know that wood-fired pizzas with a selection of toppings, including a Babootie pizza, are available for the hungrier visitors at the Neethlingshof Tasting Room.
Visit this site for a list of the best wine tours in the world
Prices
Wine tasting of 5 wines – R45 per person
Flash Food Wine & Food Pairing – R100 per adult for 5 courses and R50 per child for 3 courses.
Cellar tour – R30 per person
Pizzas from R35 for a focaccia to R125 for their delicious Biltong Pizza.
The pizza menu is available all weekend and on weekdays between 11h00 and 16h00
Keen to explore the Cape Winelands on your holiday to Cape Town?
Here are a few wine tour options you can sign up for…
Half Day Wine Tour to the Constantia Winelands in Cape Town
Half Day Wine Tour to the Cape Winelands from Cape Town
Full Day Wine Tour to the Cape Winelands from Cape Town
Contact Neethlingshof
Tel: 021 883 8988
Email: info@neethlingshof.co.za
Bookings are advisable to ensure availability. For groups of 6 or more, bookings are essential.
For further information on the bistro-style menu available at the restaurant, email them via restaurant@neethlingshof.co.za.
Stay up to date with the latest events on the estate by visiting Neethlingshof on Facebook: www.facebook.com/neethlingshof