154 of 800: Seven Oaks Winery in Wolseley Breerivier, South Africa
Seven Oaks Winery in the little town of Wolseley is my 154th winery visit in South Africa. This family-run wine farm is about a 1.5-hour drive out of Cape Town, not far from the Huguenot tunnel. During the holidays, I actually visited this gem twice because it was so much enjoyed. The first time was for the Seven Oaks "Salt of the Earth" pop up restaurant where I also spent the night in one of their cottages. The second time was to enjoy a cheese platter and the Theatre of Aromas with my extended family who were visiting from the Netherlands.
This is a small winery and yet they have quite a lot of room for people to taste wine. The staff are exceptionally friendly and the setting feels just like home.
Why the name Seven Oaks Winery?
When owners, Patrick and Jacqui Pols, acquired the farm on auction in 2003. Jacqui was not present at the auction and so Patrick had to explain the farm to her. He mentioned that there were seven Oaks on the estate to which Jacqui came up with the idea to name the farm Seven Oaks. It was only three months later when Jacqui arrived on the farm that she counted only 6 Oaks (the seventh tree was not an Oak) and so Patrick had to hastily plant another Oak tree. This commemorative story for the family was celebrated with the logo depicting 6 Oak trees, with the seventh tree a smaller one representing the new ownership.
Wine Tasting at Seven Oaks Winery
Wolseley is part of the Breedekloof wine valley and so this region is well known for producing exceptional Chenin Blanc. Seven Oaks produces both an unwooded and wooded Chenin as well as a wide variety of other wines including a Cap Classique and dessert wine.
Wine tasting is R30 per person for 5 wines of the Seven Oaks value range. pr you can taste the full range for R90 per person. I absolutely LOVED that if you order a glass of wine, they pour it into a brandy glass (like you can see in the pic below) for R15.
You are also able to order cheese platters to go with your wines however there is no restaurant.
They also have wine safari drives which must be booked in advance.
Salt of the Earth pop up restaurant
As Seven Oaks does not have a restaurant, they do host a pop-up restaurant every month featuring a different chef. The events are called "Salt of the Earth" and are about R550 per person for five courses (excluding wine).
Chef Nelis took centre stage at this event that I attended. Conjuring up the most incredible dishes. I was also so pleased to meet Patrick and the red winemaker, Lindie Jordaan.
The Theatre of Aromas
The Theatre of Aromas is a room, designed like a theatre, which is filled with different samples of scents you find in wine - a first for South Africa. The entry fee is R50 and you will have fun smelling the different aromas and guessing what they are. Above each scent is a QR code which you can scan to find the answer. The scents included things like smoke, honey, pineapple, and chocolate.
There were also four bonus scents which didn't have a QR code, these scents you had to guess and find out if you are right by telling the tasting room manager. The entire experience took about 45 minutes and it was so much fun!
The Cottages
After a fabulous day of wine tasting and eating amazing food at the pop-up restaurant, I spent a night in their Shiraz cottage which was equipped with a Turkish hot tub. The decor of this self-catering unit is so unique, it makes it feel exactly like a country home. But I must say, the absolute highlight was just being able to sit in the hot tub, take in the views and sip on a Chenin Blanc. These cottages are reasonably priced and so are booked up quickly by locals, ensure to book in advance!
In conclusion
Overall, I had such a great time at Seven Oaks, with it only being a small drive from Cape Town, I truly feel like a had a good break away from the city. I could truly relax and take in the beauty of Wolseley and I was also able to meet some great new people.
I would recommend this winery for groups of 2 - 8. It's not really a place for children though if they are well-behaved, I would bring them along. Definitely don't bring any pets, it is a working farm and so there are animals roaming freely on the estate. Booking in advance is not needed although recommended.
Contact Seven Oaks
Tel: +27 (0) 83 639 0405
Email: cottages@sevenoaks.co.za
Address: Seven Oaks Farm, Off R43, Breerivier, 6858