Wine bar hopping in Stellenbosch

If there was a culinary hub of SA in 2022, it would no doubt be Stellenbosch, the town positively brimming with exciting new openings. Once long kept to the surrounding farmlands and wine estates, the town itself is now home to a host of fresh new eateries, trendy fine dining destinations and more than its fare share of wine bars.

Since the abating of the pandemic 17 wine bars — all within three blocks of one another — have opened in the small town. Ranging from hole-in-the-walls to expansive, more-restaurant-like establishments, some are farm or conglomerate specific while others revel in the range and diversity of their wine lists. What can be said though, is that all are proudly and enthusiastically celebrations of Stellenbosch and Stellenbosch wines.

Simon Wine Emporium is the first stop on my wine bar exploration tour. A tasting room, bar and restaurant developed as a joint venture with Stellenbosch Wine Routes is a one-stop shop for the very best of Stellenbosch’s wine lands. A veritable tome of a wine list features about 150 wines from the 80 members of the Stellenbosch wine route — made all the more impressive that they’re all available for tasting by the glass. It’s also a home away from home for many of the regions winemakers, so don’t be surprised if the wine in your glass was made by the guy across the bar. If you like anything you taste, you can also buy and have it delivered to your door.

The Wine Glass — the sister establishment to the Hermanus drinkery, which shares its name, is too proudly Stellenbosch, featuring a menu of more than 130 Stellenbosch Wine Route wines. Available by the glass or the bottle, the vast selection is sure to have something to pair with each of the bites on their menu of tapas and small plates. In addition, The Wine Glass also offers tasting flights, allowing guests to taste through six expressions of their favourite Stellenbosch varietals, or even an Apex Tasting of premium Stellenbosch Reds.

Stellenbosch Wine Bar is up next, the Rust en Vrede owned establishment, offers the extensive portfolio of proprietor Jean Engelbrecht Wines — the curated offering, though perhaps limited in terms of vintage, still delivers an impressive selection of bottles and glasses across numerous price points, ensuring there’s something for everyone. Accompany your choice of vino with a host of their sharing plates.

Rounding up my wine-bar-bar-crawl of sorts, is one of the newest additions to this vibrant vinous collection, Le Chant. The new bar acting as a tasting room for the Oddo Family Wines’ latest Stellenbosch property, Le Chant Wines. In addition to the namesake’s superb chenin blanc and red blend, the family’s rosé, Pink Valley wines and their acclaimed Taaibosch Bordeaux Blend, Crescendo are all on the menu. Pink Valley chef Monche Muller has created a host of tapas boards — all cooked on hibachi grills, to accompany the wine offering.

These are only a few of the outstanding wine bars to visit within the vibrant town, the beauty here is that rather than navigating from farm to farm, one can enjoy an exceptional range of Stellenbosch wines — most at cellar door prices — all within walking distances of one another. Those looking to make a weekend of it need look no further than the charming Oude Werf Hotel — the oldest running hotel in SA — which is centrally located and in walking distance to all these top spots. The plus side being the superb breakfast offering, which will is likely to come in handy the morning after.