Wine farm picnics in the Western Cape

Here is our list of wine farms who offer picnics. We will try to update it as we are sent more information. Prices may change, so we have given you the links to their websites and phone numbers, where we have them. Contact the farm for more detail.

Allée Bleue – Intersection R 45 and R310, Groot Drakenstein. Phone 021 874 1021/2/3 email: info@alleebleue.com  http://www.alleebleue.com/ More details here

Boschendal ‘Le Pique Nique’. Boschendal Estate, Stellenbosch. Phone: 021 870 4272 email: reservations@boschendal.com   More details here

Buitenverwachting Estate, Klein Constantia Rd,  Constantia.  Contact Adrienne on 021 794 1012 or 083 257 6083.   http://buitenverwachting.co.za/picnic.html . See the menu here

Cape Point Vineyards, Chapmans Peak Drive, Noordhoek  021 789 0094 More details at  http://noordhoekvineyards.co.za/property/

Groot Constantia, Constantia Main Road, Constantia. has an ongoing problem with baboons, so they are no longer able to offer picnics on the estate..

Hartenberg , Scrumptious country style picnic lunches at Hartenberg Wine Estate   Bottelary Road, Stellenbosch 021 865 2541 email: info@hartenbergestate.com, Co-ordinates: 33° 52' 44.94" S | 18° 47' 32.73" E – Embrace summer with the ultimate picnic lunches at Hartenberg Wine Estate, one of South Africa’s oldest producers of Shiraz in the heart of the Stellenbosch Winelands. Known for its picnic tradition since the 80’s, Hartenberg’s warm hospitality and picnic baskets, filled to the brim with delicious wholesome and fresh country fare, are sure to be one of this summer’s highlights. This year Hartenberg brings you a selection of no less than three mouth watering menus to choose from.  The Main menu, at R135 per person, includes a carafe of Hartenberg wine, Eleanor Finlayson’s famous smoked snoek pate and a selection of home baked breads as a starter. For mains there is a  selection of cold meats, seasonal salads, local cheeses and preserves, fresh seasonal fruit, roasted vegetables, crudités and pickles, and last but not least coffee and koeksisters for dessert.  If the Main menu does not tickle your fancy, the lighter Homemade Quiche menu at R120 per person is a delicious alternative; including smoked snoek pate with home baked breads, homemade quiche served with baby leaf salad, vegetable crisps and a glass of Hartenberg’s premium wines rounded off with a coffee and koeksister.  Or for lazy lounging in the sun, the Olive and Cheese platters from R60 per person is an obvious choice, including a selection of breads and a glass of Hartenberg wine.  All the food is prepared by Hartenberg’s trained staff, who takes great pride in their home cooked country fare. The picnic lunches are available all summer from mid September onwards, weather permitting. Hartenberg Wine Estate is situated on the Bottelary Road off the R304 to Stellenbosch. For bookings, call +27 21 865 2541, Email: info@hartenbergestate.com or visit www.hartenbergestate.com. 

Holden Manz, formerly Klein Genot. Green Valley Road, Franschhoek. Phone: 021 876 27 29. Check here for more information.

Mont Rochelle – Dassenberg Road, Franschhoek. Click here for the menu. Phone: 021 876 2770. email: info@montrochelle.co.za   Details are here

Rickety Bridge –021 876 2129 email: info@ricketybridge.com The website doesn’t make a big thing of it, but we’re told that picnics can be organised through the restaurant

Solms-Delta – Delta Road, Off the R45, Groot Drakenstein, Franschhoek Valley. Phone: 021- 874-3937. If there is no answer on the main number please call 079 373 7911. Email: restaurant@solms-delta.co.za. Details are here.

Spier – R310, Lynedoch, near Stellenbosch. 021 809 1983. email : http://www.blogger.com/spierreservations@kristensen.co.za The picnics from Eight restaurant need to be booked two working days in advance (tel: 021 809 1100) and are available for collection from Eight to Go, next door to Eight restaurant. More info at www.spierrestaurants.co.za

Vergelegen – Lourensford Road, Somerset West. Phone : 021 847 1334. Lovely set­ting under the huge old camphor trees. Picnic details are here, somewhat down the page

Warwick - On the R44 between Stellenbosch and Klapmuts.  021 884 3144 or email jani@warwickwine.com. Full details are here

Zevenwacht – Langverwacht Road, Kuils River. Phone:  021 900 5700. Email: restaurant@zevenwacht.co.za  More information here.

Zorgvliet – Helshoogte Pass, Banhoek, Stellenbosch. Phone: 021 885 1791 email: info@banhoek.com See more here.

Newton Johnson, High Constantia & Cape Point wines, The Food Barn

We visited Newton Johnson on Monday and tasted through their fabulous wines and succumbed and bought some of their new release, a rock star of a wine, 96% Shiraz with 3% each Mourvedre and Grenache, appropriately called Full Stop Rock 2008. This cracker of a wine is full bodied, fruity, elegant and delicious.

 We had a wonderful lunch at The Food Barn, always a favourite place for us to stop when we are in the area. John and David had a delicious white and black truffle risotto with green asparagus and a fontina sauce

(David had prawns with his and a carafe of Newton Johnson chardonnay 2009)

and Niki had kingklip with tender leaves, tomato vinaigrette, fine beans and Pain Bagnat salsa, served with Nitida’s delicious Coronata white blend.

John, the driver, had delicious local tap water.
Cape Point’s new picnic and events area is very beautiful.

They have a huge permanent Moroccan style marquee and excellent new catering facilities. The farm’s tasting room will move to this new venue later this year