Martin Stevens, former wine maker at Koelenhof Wines – one of the top Stellenbosch wine farms in South Africa – takes us on a winery tour and shows his favorite wine estates. Born and bread in Stellenbosch, with almost twenty years of experience in wine making, he definitely earned his stripes in this region and far beyond.

Where to go wine tasting in Stellenbosch?

“First of all: it’s as personal as its get. Have whatever you want, whenever you want,” says Martin.“When planning your trip to Stellenbosch, I would try to visit three areas around here: the Franschoek Valley, the Stellenbosch Valley and the Paarl Valley. Each area got its very own atmosphere.”

Pinotage

To someone who’s from outside South Africa, I’d recommend to visit wineries that have Pinotage. Pinotage is a South African variety of red wine grape, so go to Beyerskloof. Or try Pinotage and red blends at award winning Kanonkop, which is probably even better.”

>Beyerskloof, Koelenhof Street, R304, Koelenhof, Stellenbosch, 7600, South Africa, www.beyerskloof.co.za/ | Kanonkop Wine Estate, R44, Stellenbosch Central, Stellenbosch, 7607, South Africa, www.kanonkop.co.za/

Chenin Blanc

“Choose a winery which has got Chenin Blanc too, because that’s the most planted grape variety in South Africa. Villiera Wines in Stellenbosch is great and their wooded Chenin is a must try. Good to know: this family run winery won the Green Company of the Year 2017 Award.”

> Villiera Wines, Cnr R304 & R101 Koelenhof Near, Stellenbosch, 7605, South Africa, www.villiera.com/

Biodynamic Avondale

“Another green and sustainable wine estate is Avondale. Avondale is one of my personal favorites,” says Martin. “Because it’s something different. They’ve organic and biodynamic wines and they are using varieties that you don’t usually see in South Africa.”

> Avondale Wine, Klein Drakenstein Road, Lustigan Rd, 7624, South Africa, www.avondalewine.co.za

Other recommended Stellenbosch wineries:

Tokara & The Deli

“Tokara sources their grapes from different areas of our wine regions. They choose their grapes from the best areas, so it’s not necessary coming from their own winery and they are known for their sauvignon blanc and red blends.”

> Tokara & The Deli, Helshoogte Rd, Arbeidslus, Stellenbosch, 7609, South Africa, www.tokara.com

Rust en Vrede & Ernie Else Wines

“Rust en Vrede is good. It’s mostly concentrating on red wines. And Ernie Else Wines, outside Stellenbosch is worth visiting.”

> Rust en Vrede Wine Estate, Annandale Road, Stellenbosch, South Africa, www.rustenvrede.com | Ernie Else Wines, Annandale Rd, Stellenbosch NU, Stellenbosch, 7600, South Africa, www.ernieelswines.com

Mont Marie Wine Estate

“Mont Marie Wine Estate & Restaurant is also outside Stellenbosch. It’s a small winery, with a beautiful view, great wines and you can see Table Mountain from the Stellenbosch Area.”

> Mont Marie Wine Estate, Blaauklippen Road, Stellenbosch, South Africa, www.montmarie.co.za