The picturesque Wellington is dishing up some of the best winter warming experiences for all ages and tastes including wine adventures, gourmet taste experiences, nature encounters and many memorable historical moments.

Heading into town, nestled between olive groves on the Oudebrug Farm, a Cape Winelands gem awaits.  Villamar, meaning house of the Marra family, is an Italian-South African style destination with a fully functioning restaurant, bakery and roastery.  At its core lies three basic elements of good Italian fare: freshly roasted coffee, good quality cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, and aged balsamic vinegar from Modena Italy.  The team of creative individuals at Villamar aim to create memorable experiences for their patrons and customers can look forward to experiencing a little piece of Italy.

Steeped in history, Diemersfontein has belonged to the Sonnenberg family for three generations, dating back to the early 1940s. David’s grandfather, Max, bought the 183-hectare farm, which lies in the shadow of the majestic Hawekwa Mountains and boasts a panoramic view of both Du Toit’s Kloof and Bains’ Kloof mountain ranges. Richard Sonnenberg planted the first vineyards in the 1970s and in 2000 David built a cellar and started producing estate wines. In 2001 Diemersfontein made history by producing the first coffee-style Pinotage. 

In November 2020, Diemersfontein did a ground-breaking deal by selling a 55% share in the Diemersfontein wine business to its staff-owned company.  Thokozani now owns a majority share of Diemersfontein Wines.

One of the top ten Wellington tourism experiences for nature and animal lovers has to be the Quenti Alpaca farm.   Get up close and personal with an alpaca during a personalised tour where you might get lucky enough to cuddle cria (the term used for a baby alpaca). Time in the mill is interesting and offers insight about the complex and technical stages to convert raw fleece into luxurious yarns and products. Tours are by appointment only. Bookings are required. 

Keeping to the farm-style theme of family-oriented restaurants in the Cape Winelands, The Stone Kitchen on Dunstone is an obvious choice. Situated in the picturesque valley of Wellington, it offers an atmosphere that is both homely and rustic with a welcoming ambiance, typical of the local hospitality. The Stone Kitchen is pet-friendly, caters for families and has become a favourite venue for private parties and functions.

Both indoor and outside dining areas has large play areas for children.  Guests can enjoy a leisurely lunch or dinner of popular South African dishes around the fireplace, including weekly blackboard specials as well as a very popular a la carte menu.

Springbok legends Schalk Burger senior and junior need no introduction, but their wines has a tradition of their own.  Schalk Burger & Sons are the owners of Welbedacht, which was granted in 1830.  For the winemaking team the process starts in the vineyard and they view themselves as custodians of the land.  The cellar comprises pre-cooling, unique open cement fermenters and a basket press as well as a custom-built cellar to suit their grapes, which are hand harvested with plenty of hands-on devotion during the vinification process. 

The Boland town of Wellington has loads to offer day and weekend tourists as well as city dwellers looking for a unique wine experience out of down.  Situated within an hour from Cape Town city centre, it is most certainly a bucket list town to explore.

For more information visit www.paarl-wellington.co.za