In the spirit of the Cape’s finest distillers
co.za) is a tribute to René Santhagen, commonly referred to as the father of South African brandy.
At Louiesenhof, Stellenbosch (021 865 2632; e-mail info@louisenhof.co.za), visitors learn that their Marbonne potstill brandy is a blend of Limousin barrel-aged brandies, distilled in an antique kettle built in Stuttgart, Germany, in 1930.
The beautiful Helshoogte Pass, outside Stellenbosch, is home to Tokara (021 808 5900; e-mail wine@ tokara.com). Apparently their fiveyear-old potstill brandy is produced according to a traditional method in a Prulho alembic still and matured in French oak vats.
Uitkyk (021 884 4416; e-mail info @uitkyk.co.za), on the R44 between Stellenbosch and Paarl and set on the slopes of the Simonsberg, has one of the most stunning settings in the Cape.
A picnic on the lawns sets the tone, with or without the brandy. (Picnic bookings are essential.)
Fancy a gourmet lunch in a restaurant?
Haute Cabriere (021 876 8500; email marketing@cabriere.co.za) at Franschhoek beckons. Or perhaps you are looking for an estate that offers an opportunity to watch coopers at work.
Head for Van Ryn’s Distillery (021 881 3875; www.vanryn.co.za) where skilled craftsmen ply their trade in the beautifully preserved chateau-like complex on the banks of the Eerste River.
At Laborie Estate (021 807 3390; e-mail info@laboriewines.co.za), beneath the majestic Paarl Rock, the history of winemaking at the estate stretches back to 1691, when the farm was granted to Jean Taillefert, a French Huguenot.
Nederburg (021 862 3104; e-mail nedwines@distell.co.za) is one of the most decorated names in wine, but gourmet brandy is also part of its stable. Founder Philippus Wolvaart began distilling brandy in the early 1800s.
The estate also offers tastings, pairing wines or brandy with cheeses, gourmet sandwiches and the like.
In Ladismith, the Towerkop mountain overlooks the Ladismith Cellar (028 551 1456; e-mail brandy@ scv.co.za), while Boplaas in Calitzdorp (044 213 3326; e-mail boplaas@ mweb.co.za) was apparently the first estate to release an estate brandy after the change in legislation in 1994 allowed this style of brandy.
Mons Ruber (044 251 6550; e-mail monsruber@gmail.com), near De Rust, has a plume-bedecked background. When world prices for ostrich feathers plummeted in 1913, farmers in this area survived by distilling and selling witblits, sparking the Little Karoo’s distillery culture. Mons Ruber, we learn, distills its brandy over an open fire, a practice dating back to 1936.
Back in 1926 the Kanga Co-operative Tobacco Company was founded in Oudtshoorn.
Then, in 1975, it established a wine cellar. The Oudtshoorn Cellar (044 272 8660; e-mail wijnhuis@ scv.co.za) is one of the few producers of buchu and ginger brandy in South Africa.
Grundheim (044 272 6927; e-mail grundheim@absamail.co.za), outside Oudtshoorn, is in Sandkoppies. Six generations of the Grundling family have farmed the land and produced wines and brandies.
● The South African Brandy Foundation in Stellenbosch may be contacted at 021 882 8954; e-mail: info@brandyroutes.co.za; website: www.brandyroutes.co.za.