Gourmet products local specialties and wines South Africa

All the restaurants and small merchants of good food in the city have a stand at this gastronomic market, from street-front restaurants to hippies who come out of their community to sell their products. They offer sandwiches, prepared dishes, grilled meats, mushroom skewers, homemade cakes, Asian specialties... All healthy and tasty. There are also stands selling wine, cocktails and fresh fruit juices. There is something for every taste, every flavour and from every country.

After having made his fortune in coal, Graham Beck, who is no longer with us today, gave himself a man's dream: a winery. So Johan Wessels drew him a cellar with revolutionary contours, while sculptor Eduardo Vila imagined a mysterious African mask to decorate the entrance and adorn the labels. In the tasting room, a lone hill chardonnay and a Cap Classique method in evening dress are offered. Also taste the viognier. Behind the bay windows, the décor resembles a postcard.

The Swellendam region accounts for 95% of the national production of youngberries, a type of thorny vine that produces purple berries with a slightly acidic flavour. Farmers make a delicious liqueur from these berries picked in November and December. There are then several types of liqueurs and sweets, jams, chutneys... Everything is to be tried in the tasting room. The Wildebraam brand, with its 24° alcohol content, is one of the best known brands of liqueurs in South Africa. It is possible to sleep at the Wildebraam Berry Estate.

Albert Camus, who is buried in Lourmarin, would no doubt have liked the Mediterranean sweetness of this sumptuous residence which cultivates the memory of its first owner, Jean Roi, originally from the Luberon. The beauty of the garden, the horses, the mouldings of the house, the small museum of old cars... It's all like a dream! The arms and the names of the Huguenot families appear on all the barrels. Note in the corner of your head that smoked white is a national bestseller and pinot gris a rarity.

Achim von Arnim has two loves: the champagne and Citroën. A DS and one 2 CV sleep in the courtyard. As for champagne, Achim made the bet approach some as much as possible by rigorously applying the Champagne method, or rather the Cap Classique method. Haute Cabrière is the only private estate to be devoted exclusively to the sparkling wines of big class. Haute Cabrière also produces, in very small quantity, the only ratafia liqueur of South Africa, as well as the quiet one, a high delicious rosy gray starting from a Champagne assembly.

The house, founded by the Huguenot Jacques de Villiers in 1694, is one of the most beautiful in the valley. It is a very nice wine that this blend is made with almost century-old Semillon vines. Here we try to respect the fruit and its freshness as much as possible. To preserve the flavours, the vinification is done in a circular cellar and by a system of gravity and not by pumping over. Among the 15 ha of magnificent vines and its different soils, you can for example test the famous shiraz-viogner, which offers a rather original result.

This is said to be the only underground champagne cellar in the Southern Hemisphere. Nicky dug his hole with his workers and used the pebbles from the river to make an earthquake-proof framework. His Krone borealis brut is highly rated and can be purchased locally. But the more curious will want to visit the farm; three hundred years old, it has been completely restored, keeping the cachet of its heritage and its contemporary renaissance.

On the way to Gansbaai, to garnish his picnic basket, an obligatory stopover in this farm where some good cheeses are made. An acceptable leiden, but above all a unique Gruyere cheese in South Africa. Taste the "matured", surprising after 10 months in the cellar. At the Klein River Valley Cheese Dairy, we don't just make cheese, we seek to "celebrate" it and to highlight the values of picnicking and family. Games for children.

Frans Malan was the first in South Africa to launch the idea of a wine route. He was also the first to produce according to a champagne method. A forerunner in the field, therefore. Today, the cellar master produces an excellent pinotage, called redhill pinotage, but also a syrah, the merindol sirah. Also, he improves year after year his Cap Classique method, ex-champenoise, Kaapse Vonkel, which according to us is in the top national. Note the fabulous wines of Lisa, Chenin blanc or Sauvignon blanc sémillon. Cheers!

An estate specializing in great reds, particularly shiraz. The owner, Jean Engelbrecht, is the son of a former winger with the Springboks, the local rugby team you're bound to hear about during your stay. Attractive Cap Dutch buildings, shady terraces and the 1780 Jonkershuis building, set in idyllic surroundings planted with colorful flowers and centuries-old oaks. Rust En Vrede Estate is known as one of the best vineyards in the country, and its wine is internationally renowned.

Princes and famous writers have frequented this high-class estate, which has had the luxury of changing cellar masters only four times in a hundred years. The large Cape Dutch-style residences seem to be frozen in time, surrounded by oak trees and vines. The stones of the staircase of the main door are "klompie bricks", the bricks that were used as ballast for the ships of the Dutch East India Company. The reds in this house are high-flying, including peter barlow, five soldier, syrah and john x merriman.

An alley lined with majestic umbrella pines leads to this estate where everything is order and beauty, from the restaurant to the cellar, from the park to the car park. Here, beneath this magnificent territory, the roots of the vine go back to the time of the very first winemaking in the Cape region. Today, the Neethlingshof holds a perfect balance between its historic heritage and the ever-evolving innovations in the wine industry. It is the home of the Riesling Weisser, Gewürztraminer and Laurentius.

This estate, now owned by the grandchildren of former minister Paul Sauer, offers four superb great reds for laying down, the equivalent of premier crus in our region. It will take ten years for these Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon and Paul Sauer wines to reach maturity. In order to produce larger bunches, the owner broadcasts recordings of bird songs at high frequency, using the Sonic Boom method. To order, a snoek fish barbecue will be organized. For a little extravaganza, leave with the 91 or 86 vintages from the reserve.

Here, the walls house the beautiful skittles. Gerhard Hempies Du Toit, a former rugby player of great renown in South Africa, is also a descendant of French Huguenots who have been winegrowers for five generations. He'll share with you his love of well-made wine, and perhaps show you some of his fine bottles of Saint-Emilion that have been lying dormant for over twenty years. The wine he produces is a nectar for connoisseurs. Try the Cabernet Sauvignon 2020, the Shiraz 2018 and, above all, the Cavalier 2020. For wine lovers, the house also makes port wine.

We mostly stop at the Jason Bakery to have a little coffee and pastry break. The small bakery of Green Point is known to serve good breakfasts. In addition to quality breads, which is not always easy to find, there is a large selection of pastries. For those who like a savory break or a quick lunch, Jason Bakery also makes great fresh sandwiches to eat in or take out while you continue your visit by strolling through the streets.

Jean-Claude and Carolyn welcome you to their remarkably elegant vineyard. This estate, created in 2002, now offers Sauvignon Blanc, Pinots or Chardonnays classified in the world top 100 and South African top 12! You have the choice between a dozen accompaniments and tapas, each one more delicious and subtle than the other. We particularly like the tasting option for children and non-alcoholic people where each dish is accompanied by a surprise drink that goes perfectly with the food. Great idea!

First of all know that lekker is an Afrikan word evoking satisfaction and having a good time, a bit in the sense of "awesome, that! ». Then all is said! On the main street, the Lekker opens up to a modern design with large industrial windows. A bar table with a view of the street offers a pleasant "inside-out" atmosphere. Here everything is excellent, from breakfast with warm croissants to dessert with flowing chocolate waffles. As for drinks, the smoothies and fruit juices are delicious.

Three times a week at the V&A Waterfront, OZCF Market Day is a community farmers' market for local independent farmers and artisanal food producers. Here you can shop for your usual vegetables, fruit, bread, dairy, free-range eggs, taste delicious baked goods or be inspired by an alternative food system: edible plants, compost and gardening equipment. A great showcase for local products.

You can't walk by the sea, under the blazing sun, without imagining yourself looking at it with an ice cream in your hand. Such a refreshing and pleasant treat cannot be refused! Let's go for a quick trip to Gelato Mania: here, the ice creams are colourful and there is something for every taste, in all forms: ice cream balls in cones, in jars, milkshakes... To be enjoyed on the beautiful terrace adjoining the shop. The shop is also very pretty and even the light fixtures are in the shape of ice cream cones. Original!

On the very central Long Street, a refreshing break is called for at Moro Gelato. A very pretty shop with light tones, in which the fragrances of delicious homemade ice creams color the window. Pistacchio, nocciola, ricotta and fichi, mango, tiramisu, salted caramel, fico..., more than 25 flavours to delight you. Here, Stefano perpetuates the Italian tradition of his childhood: fresh cut fruit, water, sugar, fresh milk and marchese cream. A family recipe that he lovingly honours every day at Moro Gelato. What a delight!

At the end of a small courtyard, the smell of chocolate calls you! Run quickly, it is here that De Villiers Chocolate prepares and sells good chocolate in bars, dark, milk, caramel or hot chocolate to be tasted on the spot. In the small courtyard, a few tables are set up on the artificial lawn. Take a break over a good coffee accompanied by a piece of chocolate or even a cup of ice cream for the greediest.

Here, once again, is an excellent address to come and taste the wines of the region. Waterford Estate is owned by the Ord family and was developed under the watchful eye of Kevin Arnold. The estate offers a relaxing setting where guests can sit and enjoy a variety of tasting options around the local nectar: I named the wine. Don't hesitate to play the originality card and test the wine and chocolate tasting for example, you might be surprised by this beautiful combination of flavours in the mouth.

A great place to enjoy a great coffee with a sweet or savoury treat. Beans About Coffee aims to be a true coffee artisan: "It should be fresh, accessible and incredible. "Here, coffee beans from all over the world are lovingly roasted to create an irresistible espresso. For Thomas, coffee, like wine, is to be mixed, tasted and enjoyed. The atmosphere is relaxed, ideal for getting together with friends or for work. Not to mention that the staff is very smiley.

Originally from a Bordeaux winemaking family, the owners, in love with South Africa and good wine, bought this estate in 2004. Today, Marianne Wines Estate is renowned in South Africa for its French savoir-faire combined with the country's mild temperatures. You'll find a collection of vintage red wines that have been aged in French barrels. The 24 ha of vines produce a quality wine. They're the only ones to offer wine and biltong tasting! An anecdote: the 2004 Floréal vintage was served for Mandela's 90th birthday.

Underneath this large blue shed called Blue Shed Coffee Rostery: it's a real junk shop inside and out. In the entrance courtyard of old dented cars, a terrace with mismatched furniture, you can, for example, settle down in a bathtub or a boat to have your coffee! What else? In a blue shed where recovery is king, you can enjoy home-made snacks: samoussas, quiches, cakes... and excellent coffees and milkshakes. The order is made at the bar and it's very cheap!

Shop specializing in olive oil and olive-based products: virgin, extra virgin, many of which have won awards, but also dried table olives and olive paste to spread on a small crunchy toast, what a delight! Even more amazing is the range of cosmetic products... Susan and Derek will give you their recipes and advice on how to make your meals more delicious and will tell you about the benefits of olives for your health, skin and hair. Miraculous olive oil!

Held every Sunday in the Rosebank Shopping Center parking lot, this lively market attracts more than 200 local merchants selling everything from new to used items. You'll find local crafts, cosmetics, jewelry, clothing, books and various vintage finds to bargain for. You can also shop for fruits and vegetables and eat sandwiches, empanadas or hamburgers on the go. Sometimes there are animations to liven up the market for the pleasure of the visitors.