Maastricht Wines in the Durbanville Wine Valley has all the Vibes
Maastricht Wines is my 145th winery visit in South Africa. They have recently renovated and opened their new tasting room and so are causing quite a stir in the Durbanville Wine Valley. I have drove past it a few times in the past and then decided to pop in and give it a try one winter's day in May. I arrived at 11am and was able to get one of the last tables available - it was quite full!
This winery was established in 1702 and recently purchased by the Louw family in 1982. Grape varietals such as Sauvignon Blanc, Pinotage, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir were planted over 100 hectares of land. An interesting fact is that it was discovered that, in a document from the early 19th century, Maastricht was one of the first nine farms to be registered as wine producers. A minimum of 10 000 vines was required in order to be classified as a wine estate.
Maastricht Wines' New Tasting Room
There is plenty of seating and the staff seemed to be coping with the full house quite well. With live entertainment available on certain days it was no wonder there was a queue of people just waiting their turn to get in! So my recommendation is to get there early! The decor is quite rustic but comfortable and the outside area is lovely on a sunny day.
Wine tasting is professionally conducted inside only. The outside tables are reserved for people not opting to the wine tasting but to rather enjoy a bottle of wine for the table. Bookings are not taken in advance, this is a first-come, first-served venue.
Wine Tasting at Maastricht
I was able to get a seat right next to the fire place which is the perfect spot for two people on a chilly day.
Wine tasting is R70 for five wines including a glass of Cap Classique or R50 for 5 wines. You can view the tasting menu here: https://maastricht.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Maastricht-menu-1-Page-1-1.pdf
The Maastricht Cap Classique and Pinotage Rose was of course very popular on a sunny winter's day and both are at great value for R190 and R95 respectively. The Cap Classique was a blend of Pinot Noir 75%, Pinotage 23% and Pinot Meunier: 2%. Delicious!
As not an avid lover of Sauvignon Blanc, I was surprisingly particularly fond of the Maastricht Sauvignon Blanc 2021 at R95 a bottle.
"The nose is intense and complex with tropical fruit, gooseberry and passion fruit flavors and a hint of green fig. These distinctive aromas support a wonderfully balanced palate, presenting purity of ripe fruit. The palate weight of Maastricht Sauvignon Blanc is also a distinguishing factor, adding to the prestige of this variety synonymous with Durbanville Valley." - Tasting notes from the Winemaker.
Onto the reds! We tasted through Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir. After tasting, I ordered a bottle of my favourite red of the day to enjoy - this was the Pinotage!
Cheese and meat platters at Maastricht
Cheese and meat platters are available to order and not only look beautiful but taste delicious too!
In Conclusion
I would recommend Maastricht for groups of friends of 2-6 people for sunny or wintery days. I would not recommend bringing children as I can imagine they can get quite restless with no jungle gym. I loved the fact that Maastricht doesn't take bookings, this makes it fair - the early bird catches the worm! Overall I enjoyed the professional conduct of the waiters and the quality of the food and wine. A great day was had!
Until the next wine farm visit...
much wine love,
Leanne
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Contact Maastricht Wines:
Maastricht Farm, Tygerberg Valley Road, Durbanville, 7550
Thys +27 83 642 2582
Melanie +27 76 540 5105
Email: info@maastricht.co.za
PLEASE NOTE: NO DOGS, NO PICNICS, & NO PHOTOSHOOTS ALLOWED.