The Rosé that started it all at 41/800 - Four Cousins, Robertson

Kid FriendlyMCC/Sparkling wineMerlotrobertsonRoséShirazUncategorizedWine Farms Visited

7 Dec

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Wine farm 41/800 is Four Cousins, in Robertson!

I have rated this wine farm experience 5 star.

OVERALL RATING	WINE	SERVICE	FOOD	LOCATION
85%	72%	88%	86%	95%

When I think of Four Cousins, many happy memories come flooding back. Speak to anyone my age, it was the wine we started on - the sweet Rosé 1.5L bottle. Those were the days! Don't let that sweet wine fool you though, there are plenty of good Four Cousins wines to move onto for the more mature palate! four-cousins-rose-y2k The wine tasting centre is brand new, modern and FABULOUS!

ACTIVITIES and OTHER AMENITIES:

Wine tasting - R55 food and wine pairings
Jungle Gym
Restaurant
Craft Beer bar & TV for sports
Mini museum on the history of Four Cousins
Selfie photo booth corner

BOOKINGS: Bookings are not essential but are recommended.

WHEN TO GO: All year around.Mon-Fri: 08h30 - 17h00Sat: 09h30 - 15h30Sun: 11h00 - 15h00Public Holidays: 09h30 - 16h30CLOSED: Good Friday, Christmas day & 1 JanuaryCHILD/PET FRIENDLY? Bring your children but not pets. They have a fab jungle gym area right next to the restaurant.

LOCATION: Situated in Robertson about a 2 hour drive from Cape Town. Google Map (it is worth the drive so why not stay the night and make a weekend of it). Try my Robertson wine recommendations, have a look HERE.

OTHER RATINGS: Check out what others say about this farm on Trip Advisor by CLICKING HERE.

Click HERE to view the ranking of this farm against others I have already reviewed.

Here is my experience:

When you walk in, it feels like the reception to a hotel and you are greeted with a friendly smile. four-cousins-reception-desk The décor is light and sophisticated yet homely and welcoming. I particularly liked the high ceilings and it really felt like the outside was inside due to all the natural light. four-cousins-tasting-room-with-history-wall-and-shop The concept of the wine tasting room is that you can choose from 5 different food and wine pairings for R55 each. They also offer a whisky pairing, non-alcoholic pairing (Zari grape juice) for R55 and a kiddies platter for R35. So in total there are NINE different options.Below is the main reason for visiting Four Cousins. Just look at this for only R55! That first pairing is a Four Cousins Rosé Sorbet/slushy which is paired with a fennel powder - it sounds weird but it is oh so delicious! fan-platter-with-bottles-at-four-cousins If you saw the above pairing and got the chills from all the calories on this plate, then order the Skinny Platter. It has less sugar and alcohol too. You would think that it will taste watered down, but it was actually really good (I thought the white Skinny was fantastic).Just look at those servings! Now that is what I call value for money! four-cousins-top-shot-skinny-wines The below pairing is a South African favourite which takes you back to your younger years. All your favourite Four Cousins wines are paired with sweet treats that you will remember from your childhood. I particularly loved the Zoo biscuit at the end :) four-cousins-family-platter-top-shot If it is a really hot day and wine sounds too heavy to drink, then you should try this fun Fiver tasting. It is a wine cooler with flavours such as Apple & Pear, Ginger Beer, Strawberry & Litchi and Apple Lime & Cucumber! So refreshing. four-cousins-fiver If you are feeling rather fancy, then this is a nice Sparkling wine pairing which is slightly more savory paired with cheeses and crackers. four-cousins-sparkling-top-shot If you are more of a dry wine and savory drinker, then the Olyfberg pairing is just for you. four-cousins-bread-and-olives New to Four Cousins is the Scottish Cousin Whisky pairing for R55. Paired with nougat, toffee and a sweetie pie, there is a 5, 8 and 12 year whisky. scottish-cousin-side-shot We were lucky enough to meet with Neil Retief who is one of the Four Cousins and current viticulturist for the brand. He was explaining his passion for wine and now whisky too. There is actually a blood line in the Retief family that goes back to Scotland which is the reason behind the "Scottish Cousin" name. It is in fact whisky from Scotland! whisky-tasting-with-niel-retief These are the Four Cousins way back when. Two sets of brothers as you can see. On the left of the picture below is the deed to the Van Loveren farm which started it all. the-four-cousins-brothers There is in fact an entire museum on the wall in the tasting room which you should take the time to read through. Snap a photo of the corn fritters recipe that the farm used to offer to customers when they first started. And take note of the income statement which just goes to show how cheap everything was back then. Eish, how times have changed. four-cousins-history-wall Once you are done in the tasting room, why not take a walk around the corner to the Boet Beer, craft beer bar and brewery. four-cousins-interior-design Ask to taste a few. There are 4 different ones to try and what was nice is that none of them were too heavy. Four Cousins ensured that Boet beer would be a craft beer for everyone in that it is light enough to drink every day.And it comes fresh and cold, right from the tap. four-cousins-pouring-beer Because it is all brewed on site! This is hop which is used to make beer and is what gives beer the bitter taste. four-cousins-hop-for-beer And these are the brewery tanks! Nice shiny and new! Ask if you can take a cellar tour when you visit. Sometimes, the beer master is there to talk you through it all. four-cousins-making-beer You might be feeling hungry by now and that is why this place is so awesome!One menu, two different vibes to enjoy your meal.