Visiting the Cape Winelands is always special and we recently had the pleasure of visiting Under Oaks Wine Estate, located near Paarl.
We were invited for a tour of the accommodation, private cellar and finally to have a savoury and sweet paired wine tasting.
Luxury Guest House in the Winelands
We actually visited Under Oaks before (my S/O received a voucher birthday gift from a friend), but didn’t realise at all that they also offered accommodation. The Guest House is located right in the vineyards with a beautiful view of a dam, vineyards and mountains. If you book, make sure you take one of the rooms with a view (if that’s your thing), else you can opt for a more private setting (you can have total privacy on your little terrace in some of the rooms too).
The rooms are beautifully decorated. If we had to sum it up in a single word it would be: luxury. As we did not stay over we can’t comment on how comfortable the beds are, but it certainly looks divine.
Breakfast is served next to the restaurant which is a leisurely 5 minute stroll in the vineyards or a quick drive away from the guest house. In fact we love the old school farm feel of the breakfast room which is situated in one of the older estate buildings next to the pizzeria. It provides an authentic ‘farm breakfast’ feel with beautiful wood finishes.
Under Oaks Pizzeria
Described as “true South African hospitality mixed with Italian flavours”, the Under Oaks Pizzeria is an appealing lunch spot for your day-trip getaway in the Cape Winelands.
The manager Marcelo is passionate (Italian after all) about good service and high quality food and greeted us smiling and friendly. We had excellent service and meals both times we had lunch there.
The pizzeria has a large selection of pizzas and pastas to choose from on their menu, or you can opt for platters to complement your wine tasting.
They do have gluten free options for the health-conscious folk out there.
The pizzeria is also available to be booked for small functions (by prior arrangement) – 021 869 8962.
Wine Pairings at Under Oaks
We started off with a savoury wine pairing that included a tasteful mix of options.
The turkish delight wine pairing is a vegan friendly as it’s gelatin free. Maybe just confirm this again before your visit, but I do recall that it’s made from non-animal based ingredients. Man was it good!
We particularly liked the Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (2014) and we had to buy some of the wine called The Secret in their Britz Brothers range. No one knows the blend apart from the owner’s sons and the winemaker (Bertus Fourie – kudos to this man!).
Under Oaks also have a wide range of other red and white wines to choose from.
Apart from the very unique label, we can’t tell you much more, because, you know…. it’s a secret.
In summary
Everyone we met was very professional and friendly. Suretha and her colleagues at the wine tasting room kept us entertained and informed.
The owner Hansie joined us during the wine pairings and we enjoyed his absolute passion for what Under Oaks is today.
I think that same passion clearly shines through their entire operation and we can highly recommend a visit.
Browse to www.underoaks.co.za for more info and look out for their listing on our site soon!
