After entering the wine country in South Africa through Stellenbosch, it was time to finally do some tasting. I didn’t go to many places, but I did go to one great one.

Nederburg

The Nederburg estate in Paarl looks gorgeous. It is housed in a colonial villa surrounded by a big green estate. At first when you arrive you can’t see the huge factory hiding inside the estate.

This would be my first wine tasting experience, not just the first in South Africa but the first ever, so I was very excited. You might remember my blogs about the Guiness factory in Dublin and the Whisky Experience in Scotland. What makes this different is that I actually like wine.

I arrived just in time for the tour to start. First we were taken around the factory to be shown the process of making the wines. I’m not going to bore you with the details.

How creepy is this picture? It looks like I entered a slaughterhouse rather than a winery!

Then for the best moment ever, the wine tasting. We tried a variety of wines and the thing that stuck with me most from that time is an old posh British couple who were sitting across from me. They told the tour guide that they were very excited about being in the country that produces Pinotage, because whenever they are in a restaurant together in Britain they order the Pinotage.

I loved this couple. It’s difficult to explain, but this was in 2011 so don’t forget I was younger. The statement from this couple kind of stuck with me and became an example of how I want to be when I grow old with a significant other.

Anyways, I digress. These were the wines I tasted. They were delicious and especially the Special Late Harvest (a sweet wine) as been on my most-wanted list for a while now. If anyone knows where I can find it, it would be much appreciated.

I buy Nederburg wines now whenever I get the chance. Actually there is a Nederburg Cabernet Sauvignon in my cupboard as we speak.

Road from Nederburg to KWV

Both the Nederburg estate and KWV Brandy Distillery are in Paarl. The road from one to the other offers gorgeous views over the wine estates and mountains.

KWV Brandy

I actually went to the Brandy tasting as a favour to my friend. I don’t like Brandy at all. KWV is one of the leading wine and spirits producers in South Africa so at least that was nice.

When we arrived, we were first given a tour through the distillery. And we were shown the process of making the caskets.

Then came the tasting. We were given very nice brandies, but I tried one and that was enough. It was a fun tour and the guide was really nice and knowledgeable, but it just wasn’t for me.

How to get there?

You can easily organise these two tours by yourself, if you have a car. You can simply knock on the door of the wineries to see if there are any tours. If you have limited time, I would advise you to join a tour to make the most efficient use of your time.

Conclusion

All-in-all Paarl is an excellent location for a day trip through wineries for tastings. I didn’t spend the night there so I cannot say whether the town itself has much to offer, but in terms of wineries it is excellent. I went on to Montagu the same day to spend the night there.

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