Weekend in Tulbagh

It was one of my beautiful friends wedding in Tulbagh a few weekends ago. The last time I was in Tulbagh was 15 years ago. All I remember was that I ate a huge piece of chocolate cake :)


Wedding time at Morgansvlei

The beautiful bride

I was therefore very excited to venture into mostly unknown territory. Tulbagh has loads of wine farms around the town so naturally they were the main component of my weekend activities!

When you arrive in Tulbagh fetch a map at The Tulbagh Tourism Centre. The map is great and you can easily navigate the surroundings with it.  Alternatively these maps are available at the wine farms as well.


Saronsberg

Our first stop was at Saronsberg. You can't go to Tulbagh at not visit them as tasting their Shiraz is one of the top things to do! I mentioned to some friends that I was travelling to Tulbagh for the weekend and everyone started the conversation with " Oh but your must visit Saronsberg..." and I would interrupt and finish with " I know, I know to try the Shiraz." It has won numerous awards and truly is a great wine to drink.

Statue by Angus Taylor

Welcome to Saronsberg

Beautiful lawn to relax on

To top it all off the tasting venue is beautiful with loads of art you can admire. Our favourite pieces where the sculptures by Angus Taylor. I could have spent the entire afternoon at Saronsberg. You can lounge on their lovely lawn next to the dam with a glass of wine.

Art gallery upstairs

Elegant tasting room

Having an awesome time at the tasting room

Wine tasting is free and there are a lot of wines to taste. My favourites were the following

• Saronsberg Provenance Shiraz : I'm happy to report it lives up to its reputation.
• Saronsberg Seismic 2009: It's a bold and full bodied wine with cabernet sauvignon as the main variety which is probably why I loved it.
• Saronsburg Brut MCC 2009: I was surprised that this Brut actually had quite a sweetness to it that I really enjoyed.

The only wine I did not enjoy  was their Sauvignon Blanc. It seems that the reds are their forte. Saronsberg also offers accommodation with self-catering cottages and they only receive good reviews on Tripadvisor.

You can visit them

• Monday-Friday 08:00-17:00
• Saturday 10:00-14:00
• Closed on Sundays

Tweet them @Saronsberg_wine
Like them on Facebook
For more information visit their website


Krone @ Twee Jonge Gezellen

I love bubbly so I was very excited to enjoy a tasting of only that! I actually enjoyed a glass of the Krone Borelis the previous night while watching the Lumineers at Kirstenbosch so I could not wait to visit the birth place of the lovely bubbles. The tasting room overlooks the vineyards and it was lovely to sit outside underneath the vine leaves. Our wine tasting host was energetic and really friendly.

Beautiful surroundings

Cheers

Outside tasting area

We tasted the following MCC's

• Krone Borealis Brut 2013 - This I would describe as your everyday bubbly :) I has the lovely biscuity/creamy taste.
• Krone Rose (Cuvee Brut) 2013 - This MCC has a beautiful pink colour and lovely apple notes. Serving this bubbles at a party would definitely make a statement.
• Krone Night Nectar (Demi Sec) 2013 -  This was my favourite! It was sweet but at the same time very refreshing.
• Krone Chardonnay Pinot Noir - Not a bubbly but also a great easy drinking wine.

Krone

My purchase of the day!

You can visit them

•  Monday-Friday 10:00-16:00
• Saturday 10:00-14:00 and the cellar tour is at 11:00

Like them on Facebook
Tweet them @houseofkrone
For more information visit their website

Other wine farms in the area that I did not get to but will in the future were Montpellier, Theuniskraal and Waverley Hills .

Tulbagh has loads of accommodation to choose from. We stayed at Rijks Country House which is situated 2 km outside of Tulbagh. You can also enjoy wine-tasting here. It's a beautiful estate where you can walk around and enjoy the surroundings. Service is impeccable and the rooms are equipped with more than you need. My favourite part of our visit was lounging next to the pool with a G&T. We made our booking through Booking.com who has great deals!

Does not get better than this!



Perfect way to relax!



Cottages at Rijks



Rooms at Rijks



Pool area


We spent most of our time outside of Tulbagh but if you have time you can enjoy the museums about the famous earthquake, watch a show at the Saronsberg Theatre or wine and dine at numerous restaurants. A place that looked awesome from outside was Things I Love.

As you can see to enjoy the small-town gem that Tulbagh is you will need at least two weekends away :) I will definitely be back!