156 of 800: Kloovenburg Wines in Riebeek Kasteel, South Africa
Kloovenburg wines in Riebeek Kasteel is my 156th wine farm visit in South Africa. I am slowly getting the numbers back up, trying to make up for all the time I had to stay at home due to lockdown. It's not getting any easier as the wine farms are getting further and further away from home. This time, I travelled to Riebeek Kasteel (a 1.5-hour drive from Cape Town) of which during the weekend I was only able to visit two wineries so I will have to go again to do more because there are a lot more!
I actually didn't plan to visit Kloovenburg but was recommended it by a follower on Instagram whilst I was visiting Nativo wines. On the way home, we made a pit stop at Kloovenburg and I am glad we did.
Wine Tating at Kloovenburg Wines
What a wonderful piece of paradise. It was so lovely to sit outside, under the oak trees at 10h30 in the morning with nothing but the sound of the morning birds surrounding us.
Kloovenburg have what you call a "self-service" set up which means you select how many wines you would like to taste (paying by the glass between R15 - R25) and then each time, you have to go to the bar to get your next tasting. I tasted 6 wines, and so 6 times I had to go to and from the wine tasting bar from the outside area to the inside area. It was quite good really, as I managed to get my steps in whilst also checking my balance that I have not had too much to drink haha.
One of the sister companies of Kloovenburg is called Eight Feet - a brand dedicated to the four sons (who in total have 8 feet) who help owner, Pieter du Toit in the cellar. About 2 km from the tasting room, is the Eight Feet Village which you should also check out for lunch - the views are incredible!
Kloovenburg Wines family story
It all started when they produced their first wine - a Pinotage - back in 1997.
We didn’t have a destemmer or crusher, so we had to use our hands to remove the berries from the stems and stomp it with our feet to break the skins. The juice was transferred to the Stellenbosch University to be inoculated, fermented and matured. The wine was bottled unfiltered and by hand. Only 200 bottles were produced.
- Owner, Pieter du Toit
In the year 2000, Pieter built the cellar and made his own wine. Today, the cellar has a capacity of 200 tons.
Did you know they do olives too?
Kloovenburg has a whole range of olive products on sale from different infused olives, to hair oil, creams and so much more. You can also do an olive and wine pairing for just R30.
In conclusion
Kloovenburg winery is a fantastic place for family and friends to enjoy some wine and olives whether it is a sunny or rainy day. There is plenty of space outside and inside so I don't think booking in advance is needed. Next door to the wine tasting area is a huge picnic area with jungle gyms for the kids so this is super for families with kids too.
Contact Kloovenburg
Tel: 022 448 1635
Email: info@kloovenburg.com
