Things to do in Overberg District, Western Cape: The Best Food & Drink

Almenkerk Wine Estate, in the cool Elgin Valley, is a real Family Estate; owned by the van Almenkerk Family and run by Natalie & Joris van Almenkerk. While Joris makes the wine - award winning wine -, Natalie does everything from sales & Marketing, PR and admin. Patriarch Joep helps out with sales, especially in his new restaurant De Brasserie in Strand, and acts as a mentor to the business side. Sisters Lieselotte & Annelies help with sales, tasting room and - of course - harvest (while juggling their studies and boyfriends). Next to that, we have a dedicated group of family & friends, local and overseas, who come out to help us during crunch time. Most importantly, though, do come visit us! Visitors to the Estate and our tasting room are increasing and - possible more importantly - returning to taste and buy some more. Life is beautiful on Almenkerk Wine Estate. We've been winning awards and medals. Some of them even for our cellar architecture! In any event, we consider our wines to be a form of liquid architecture.

Oneiric: the exquisite wine farm tucked away in the Kogelberg Biosphere, in Elgin, Western Cape. Surrounded by trout dams, an array of fauna & flora (2000 indigenous trees were planted, along with plants typical of the area) attract an assortment of bird life. Releasing its 2009 vintage in 2013 to rave reviews. With ratings in their 90’s, Oneiric has fast become one of South Africa’s finest wineries.

Coolest vineyard in Elgin, overlooking the Elgin Valley in the North and the Atlantic Ocean in the South, offering world class Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and our unique red blend, the One Man Band, a blend of 6 grape varieties. The Herbert Baker homestead is surrounded by a lovely garden and mature trees.

Arendsig is a small, boutique wine farm with guest accommodation. We are open by appointment only. There are 4 cottages that are situated between the Cabernet and Chardonnay vineyards, overlooking the Breede River. The cottages are fully equipped allowing for either self catering or bed and breakfast bookings. This is a ideal romantic or family getaway. Guests can enjoy a glass of wine on the terrace or a swim in the river. There are many beautiful bird watching, hiking, mountain biking and trial running opportunities in the area.

Bartho Eksteen Wijnskool is not only great wine, but South Africa's future. With wine courses offered to school children and WSET Levels 1-3 for serious consumers, the playing field is wide open for all ages to learn more about the wonderful world of wine. The main focus is still to produce exclusive and exceptional wines where quality is non-negotiable with as range of nine wines to choose from. MCC sparkling wine, Sauvignon Blancs, Rosé and Rhône style red blends are amongst the wine selection.

Established in 1898 by Sir Antonie Viljoen, this magnificent 1786ha family estate is one of the pioneering farms in the country. In 1908 a wine cellar was built, but was sadly mothballed during the Second World War when fruit was in greater demand. New vineyards were established in 1985, followed by the release of our much-acclaimed maiden vintage in 2003. With vineyards located on mountain slopes over 450m above sea level, ripening occurs slowly and vines bear ultra-low tonnages.The Fruit Division at Oak Valley today consists of 350 hectares of apple and pear orchards with 70% planted to apples and 30% to pears. The Greenhouse Division covers over 17 hectares of greenhouse and shadehouse cutflowers, the largest in the Western Cape, with the speciality crop being Chrysanthemums for the local and export market.Mountain biking has become a major attraction, with our trails rated as some of the best single track in the country. On a typical summer weekend, Oak Valley attracts up to 150 mountain bikers and theirsupporters.The Pool Room Restaurant at Oak Valley is a tourism destination in its own right. The menu is simple, focussing mainly on Oak Valley’s meat products, grass-fed beef and acorn-fed pork, along with a range of dry-cured meats (or charcuterie) crafted in an on-farm curing facility.

Paul Cluver Wines is located in the cool-climate Elgin Valley. This family-run winery has roots that go back four generations. Recognised as pioneers of wine in the area, the focus is on producing elegant wines that are expressive of the terroir.The winery forms part of larger holistic farming business called 'De Rust Estate'. In addition to the vineyards and cellar, there are apple and pear orchards, a Hereford stud and eco-tourism activities, including amphitheatre concerts and mountain biking, on the farm. The estate forms part of the UNESCO world heritage site, the Kogelberg Biosphere. Half of the estate has been set aside for conservation into perpetuity.