A food and wine experience at Neethlingshof Wine Estate in Stellenbosch

Neethlingshof Wine Estate was initially called De Wolvendans (The Dance of Wolves). The only thing that closely resembles dancing movements are the squirrels that dance along the iconic avenue, between the pine trees which like soldiers line the entrance of this historic Stellenbosch farm. 

The land was acquired in 1788 by Charles Marais and his then 18-year old wife Maria. Sadly Charles passed away shortly after the purchase; they seemed like two dedicated and hard working people holding the same vision in mind. Maria decided to take on the winemaking responsibilities and to become one of the first female winemakers at that time. She carefully extended the vines and ran the entire operation.  Maria's daughter Anna Margaretha married Johannes Henoch Neethling in 1825 and he was made joint owner along with Maria's youngest son, Petrus Johannes Marais. Soon afterwards, Petrus sold his portion of the farm to Johannes Henoch Neethling making him the sole owner, and De Wolwedans was changed to Neethling's Hof. Fast forward to 2019, and you can see Maria dedication to detail in the Cape Dutch buildings. Adding the date to the gable as well as the 6 flower images by her own hands. Knowing all this gives one a sense of respect for the place and the staff carries the same pride whilst explaining what is on offer. We chose the option of the ‘Flash Food, Slow Wine Pairing’ where the wine is paired with bite-sized portions of fast food with a twist. The cost is R120 per person and it includes five portions paired with five wines.

Neehtlingshof boasts a whole host of various wine and food tastings to choose from, so be sure to soak it all up before you dance with the squirrels on your way out!