| The
Green Mountain Eco Route, the world’s first biodiversity
wine route, offers scenic beauty, natural diversity
of terroir and a wide range of wine styles around the
Groenland Mountain with the villages Bot River (Botrivier),
Elgin Valley Grabouw, Houw Hoek and Villiersdorp in
the heart of the Cape Floral Kingdom.
During wine tasting & wine tours, visitors are exposed
to both the wine and the biodiversity experience of
each participating producer in the wine wards Elgin
and Walker Bay. For example, guides from the local community
will conduct tours of the natural vegetation, communicating
the wine producer's story and the role of biodiversity
conservation in sustainable wine production. The biodiversity
wine route is an opportunity to create employment and
develop a new eco tourism angle for South African wine
tourism.
Botriver
Beaumont Wine
Goedvertrouw Wine Estate
Luddite Wines
Nabot
Wildekrans Wine Estate
Elgin
Elgin Vintners
Oak Valley Wines
Paul Cluver Wines
Shannon Wines
Villiersdorp
Villiersdorp Cellar
Houw Hoek Farm stall
Kelkiewyn
Peregrine Farm stall
Thandi Farm Kitchen
Botriver Hotel & Pub
Goedvertrouw
Kelkiewyn
Villa Exner Exclusive Boutique Hotel*****
- Fine Dining
in Botriver
Since purchasing the farm in the early 1970s, Raoul
and Jayne Beaumont have developed a family-run winery
producing a range of quality wines that reflect the
individuality of this environment. Vineyards were planted
on ancient shale soils and the old wine cellar with
its antique machinery was revived – but this was
only a part of the larger conservation of the great
historical and natural heritage of the farm. With only
34 hectares under vine, the vast majority of the remaining
400 hectares consists of pristine, fynbos-rich mountainside
which forms part of the Groenlandberg Conservancy Area,
of which the Beaumonts were founder members.
Lying at the foot of this large mountain
range, the farm is home to much indigenous flora
and fauna, and the Beaumonts have actively protected
this natural heritage – even the extremely venomous
puff adders occasionally found in the garden are gently
relocated to the mountainside.
The Jackals and the Bot Rivers flow
through the property, and there is an ongoing project
to clear the riverbanks of alien vegetation. We have
managed to clear three kilometers of river frontage
to date, allowing the natural vegetation to re-establish
itself and for more water to become available to the
environment.
We are also in the process of restoring
the historic water mill in order to produce a limited
amount of stone ground whole wheat meal.
Trading Hours: Monday – Friday 9:30am –
4:30pm
Saturday: 9:30am – 1:00pm
Closed on public holidays
Forms of payment: All
Tel: 028 2849194
Fax: 028 2849733
Website: www.beaumont.co.za
Email: info@beaumont.co.za
Goedvertrouw Wine Estate is no ordinary home. It is
a place of handcrafted wines, homemade meals, an enchanted
country garden and abundant birdlife.
Full of life, yet peaceful and soulful, it takes on
the character of its owners. A real working farm, Elreda
Pillman continues to live out the dream her and late
husband, Arthur shared. The house in which Elreda now
resides at Goedvertrouw, was originally built in 1820,
making it one of the oldest houses in the area. The
old bell in front of their home was used to summons
the slaves on the farm in the first half of the 19th
century and to signal the arrival of the train from
Cape Town, which would transport vegetables grown in
the area to Cape Town. The Goedvertrouw property also
has an old graveyard of early settlers to this part
of the Cape. What Elreda today uses as a wine cellar,
still has the original ‘skietgatte’ used during World
War II. Elreda lovingly handcrafts four cultivars, from
the skillfully fashioned Pinot Noir to the wildly experimental
Pardoemps – a blend of Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon
and Pinotage.
Situated on the Van der Stel Pass between Botrivier
and Villiersdorp, this magical world of flowers and
birds surrounds the old homestead and affords a view
down the valley gazing over the geese in the pond, the
hand-reared lambs, piglets and cattle.
Make sure you stay for one of Elreda’s homemade meals
whether it is for breakfast, lunch or dinner. In summer,
you’ll be served on the stoep and after hours of eating,
drinking and being mesmerised you’ll struggle to leave
which is okay as there are 3 double-bed en-suite rooms
in the house. In winter you will be seated cosily in
the tasting room or in the homestead’s lounge alongside
the fireplace.
Full of grace and wisdom, underneath is a hard-working
woman who’s always ready to jump in and milk the cows
or drive the tractor herself when needed. Don’t leave
without a block of farm-churned butter, a loaf of freshly
baked bread and a case of hand-bottled, hand-labelled
wine.
Tel/Fax: 028 284
9769
on the Van der Stel Pass near
Botriver
Owner/winemaker Niels Verburg intends to develop Botriver
into serious wine country. Established in 1999 with
the sole aim of making world-class Shiraz, Luddite is
situated on the eastern slopes of the Houw Hoek mountains
1,5km from the village of Botriver.
Measuring 17 hectares, currently 5.3 hectares are planted
to Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Mouverdre, the bulk
being Shiraz. The vineyard produced its 1st crop in
2004 but has finally come into full production with
the 2007 vintage. The farm is a family run affair with
neighbours and friends roped in to do the actual picking.
The current vintage on offer is the 2004. This is in
keeping with Niel’s philosophy of one year in
barrel and one in bottle before releasing his wines.
Plans for 2007 include building a new barrel cellar
and office/ tasting room.
Niels and Penny Verburg
Tel: 028 2849308
Fax: 028 2849045
Email: luddite@telkomsa.net
in the region of Botriver
Nabot Organic Wine Farm derived its name from the Biblical
Naboth’s vineyard and the Botriver region where it is
situated. From the outset, Nabot was developed exclusively
as an organic production operation. The farm also boasts
a large population of blue crane birds.
Unique Sauvignon
Blanc
80 hectares of the 130-hectare farm are under vines.
Varietals grown are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz,
Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Petit Verdant and Malbec,
destined mostly for use in the production of La Motte
wines but unique to the Green Mountain Eco Route, is
Nabot’s organically grown Sauvignon Blanc grapes, reserved
for the production of a super premium Sauvignon Blanc
wine. These grapes are handpicked in crates and transported
in refrigerated trucks to La Motte, where the wine is
made and bottled by winemaker Edmund Terblanche. Nabot’s
organically grown Sauvignon Blanc is marketed under
the La Motte label as part of the exclusive La Motte
Pierneef Collection – a tribute to the mastership of
South African artist, Jacob Hendrik Pierneef. The wine
shows intense lemon, melon and green apple flavours
complemented by aromas from the natural flora (‘fynbos’)
in its habitat – a veritable expression of its unique
terroir. At the 2006 Concours Mondial de Bruxelles this
wine was awarded a Gold Medal.
Principles in place
In addition to its SGS certification, Nabot subscribes
to Eurogap certification, while strongly supporting
Black Economic Empowerment, in line with principles
laid down by Mr Hein Koegelenberg, Managing Director
of La Motte.
Tel:021-876 3119
Fax: 021-876 3446
Website: www.la-motte.com
Email:
cellar@la-motte.co.za
near the southern
tip of Africa
We are a boutique winery situated near the southern
tip of Africa. The cool Atlantic sea winds and the lean
soils allow our grapes to reach optimal ripeness and
impart the characteristic cool climate aromatic profile
that our wines are renown for. Our classic selection
of wines includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage, Merlot,
Warrant, Cabernet Franc Merlot and Shiraz. In addition
to wines we also promote a variety of local South African
art. These works of art can be found on show at our
Tasting room.
Cellar/office:
Mon-Fri: 08:30 –17:00 Sat – Sun: 11:00 –
15:00
Tel: 028 284 9902/3
Fax: 021 413 0967
Wine Shop and Art Gallery at the Orchard
Farm Stall: Mon- Sun: 08:30 – 17:00
Tel/Fax: 021 859 5587
Enquiries: wines@wildekrans.com
Postal address: P.O.
Box 31 Botriver 7185
Website: www.wildekrans.com
Email: melissa@wildekrans.com
Elgin Valley
Elgin Vintners is a partnership of six grape, apple
and pear farmers within the beautiful and diverse Elgin
Valley. Each site, which has been planted to grapes,
has been selected for its own defining terroir, which
is in turn reflected in its wines. All of the partners
in Elgin Vintners subscribe to IPW standards and farm
with sensitivity to the environment. One of our farmers,
Eikenhof Farm is BWI accredited and we are all members
of the Groenlandberg Conservancy. Our focus is on the
production of top quality grapes. We are able to select
grapes from various vineyards within the group and blend
the individual component wines to produce wines that
are distinctively multi-dimensional and complex. A further
advantage is while one farm may not be suited to a particular
cultivar, another farm within the group probably is.
This means that Elgin Vintners will shortly be able
to offer a comprehensive range of wines.
These wines are all
available for tasting and sales from our welcoming tasting
room located on Beaulieu Farm. You are able to stand
on the stoep, taste the wine, smell the roses and count
the abundant bird life on the magnificent nearby dam.
Tel: 021 848 9587
Email: elginvintner@mweb.co.za
on the R321 near Grabouw
1786 hectares of diversified farming activities including
wine (40 ha), cut flowers (12 ha), apple and pear production
(350 ha) and beef cattle on sub-clover / grass pastures
(580 ha). Oak Valley was founded in 1898 by Sir Antonie
Viljoen who was the first to establish commercial apple
and pear orchards (1900) and the first to build a winery
in Elgin (1908).
There are over 4000 oak trees
on the property, covering 30 hectares, hence the name.
Oak Valley, with 40 hectares currently planted to vines,
presently has a highly acclaimed Platter 4 ½
Star Sauvignon Blanc on the market together with the
Platter 4 star Oak Valley Blend and a Platter 4 ½
star barrel-fermented Chardonnay to follow in mid-2006;
a Pinot Noir is being made in limited quantities with
the 2005 vintage being awarded 4 stars in Platter.
Oak Valley also has the benefit of approximately 500
hectares of pristine mountain fynbos and was the 7th
accredited member of the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative.
Tasting: Yes. Weekdays 9 am. – 5 pm.
Tel: 021 859 4110
Fax: 021 859 3405
Website: www.oakvalleywines.com
Email:
wines@oak-valley.co.za
In the mid-1980s, the Elgin area was identified
as a cool climate - a wine-growing appellation which
indicates the potential to provide slow-ripening grapes
with delicate aromas and fruit character similar to
that of Burgundy. Careful site selection and soil analysis
led to the first plantings of noble varietals in 1986.
Originally planted with Sauvignon
Blanc, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer and Weisser Riesling,
the early 1990s saw the augmentation of new clone Cabernet
Sauvignon and Pinot Noir. Mindful of the management
of quality needed from vineyard to bottle, a small,
made-to-measure cellar was erected with the emphasis
on hand-crafted, premium quality wines. The Paul Cluver
cellar was the first to be established in the Elgin
appellation.
Paul Cluver Wines are situated on De Rust, one of the
largest and oldest estates on the Elgin Plateau. The
farm was originally bought by Dr Clüver’s
great grandfather to provide summer grazing for their
livestock.
The Estate falls within the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve
where conservation and sustainable use of natural resources
are pursued with the ultimate goal of balance and harmony
between man and nature.
Wine Tasting & Sales:
Monday to Thursday: 9am -5pm,
Fridays: 9am – 4pm
Saturdays & Public holidays: 9am – 3pm (Sept.
– Apr.) 10am – 2pm (May – Aug.)
Closed Easter Fri / Mon,
25 Dec 25 & 1 Jan
Bookings essential
R10 pp for groups of 8 -12 persons
R30 pp for formal sit down tasting
Forms of payment: We accept Cash, Credit
/ Debit cards (Master, Visa, Diners, American Express)
Phone: 021 844
0605
Fax: 021 844 0150
Cell: 082 320 2060
Website: www.cluver.com
Email:
info@cluver.co.za
At Shannon Vineyards, our focus
on viticulture principles reflects our commitment to
winemaking as an expression of terroir. Making fine
wines is our ongoing aspiration, and to that end we
have assembled a talented team who share our passion.
Our grapes come from exceptional mountain hillside vineyards
along the Palmiet River in the Elgin Valley. These unique
vineyard sites, combined with the highly experienced
viticultural team of Kevin Watt and James Downes, and
a winemaking philosophy of minimal intervention followed
by the winemakers Gordon Johnson and Nadia Cilliers,
produce wines with distinctive personalities. Each wine
has a sense of place. They are seductive and memorable
for their complexity, structure and elegance.
Rockview Dam Road, 
Box 20,
ELGIN,
SOUTH AFRICA,
7180
telephone: + 27 (0)21 859 2491
e-mail: info@shannonwines.com
web: www.shannonwines.com
Shannon Vineyards is not open
to the public, visits are arranged by appointment only.
i
Villiersdorp Cellar lies in the tranquil town of Villiersdorp,
also called “The Pearl of the Overberg”.
Established in 1922 the cellar became famous for its
“Moskonfyt” production. Although Grape Must
Jam is still produced at a small scale, the cellar is
the most recent discovery of wine connoisseurs with
exceptional value for money wines, produced in this
beautiful valley of Splendour. In every glass of our
wines gleams the quiet shadows of the Groenlandberg,
Hottentots Holland, Franschhoek and Baviaans mountains
that surround our Valley of Splendour.
Nestled snugly beside the Theewaterskloof dam, the Valley
lies luminous with spectacular views and a cool climate
induced by the relative closeness to the Atlantic Ocean.
This climatic condition is the cornerstone of the excellent
grape production on different terroirs, in harmony with
nature, enabling the cellar to bring forth several styles
of wine to suit every taste. All the main cultivars
are produced and can be tasted and bought at our Kelkiewyn
Farm Stall and Restaurant which also serves as the tasting
venue for our wines.
Kelkiewyn Farm Stall
Tel: +27 28 840 1120
Fax: +27 28 840 1833
Website: www.vilko.co.za
Email: info@vilko.co.za
 Package
deals of excellent value
Tri Active takes you on a journey that explores the
beauty of the Elgin Valley and the Green Mountain Eco
Route with its endless mountain peaks and valleys.
Choose from a variety of guided 4x4, quad bike and mountain
bike excursions as well as guided nature walks, which
are designed in interest groups such as Wine & Game,
Green Mountain Valley, Biodiversity Wine Route, Brandy
& Wine, Flowers & Fynbos, Around the Groenlandberg
etc.
Cany and Anton Bugler
Tel: +27 21
844 0975
Fax: +27 21 844 0970
Cell: +27 83 456 2181
Email: info@triactive.co.za
Website: www.triactive.co.za
See
tour options
 on
the N2 just before Houw Hoek Pass
The Farm Stall is stocked with delectable delights -
homemade pies, biscuits and cakes, freshly baked bread,
local wines and baskets filled with fruit and vegetables
fresh from the farms in the Elgin Valley. Relax in the
coffee shop and enjoy an excellent meal in the peace
and quiet of this tranquil mountain setting. Fresh fish
from the Overberg shores only 30km away and unique salad
combinations are served - offering our guests a bit
more than the usual coffee shop!
Picnic baskets are also prepared for a relaxed day in
the country.
Tel: +27 (0) 28 284 9015
Website: www.houwhoekfarmstall.co.za
Email: info@houwhoekfarmstall.co.za
Visitors to our valley can enjoy true small town hospitality
at our “Kelkiewyn” farm stall and fully
licensed restaurant. The name Kelkiewyn was given to
our farm stall because of its a dual meaning, one being
the Afrikaans word for a wineglass and the other being
a bird kind also known as the Namaqua Sand Grouse often
found in our area near dams.
Situated on the banks of the
Elands River the farm stall offers a wide range of curios,
dried fruit, wine boutique and bar accessories. Our
fully licensed restaurant serves light meals and offers
indoor and outdoor seating on the banks of the river.
Adjacent to Kelkiewyn is the newly established Tractor
Museum, the first of its kind in the country. Ask for
the key in the farm stall and see these old machines
of the heydays in perfect working condition
Tel: +27 28 840 1120
Fax: +27 28 840 1833
Website: www.vilko.co.za
Email: info@vilko.co.za
on the N2 near Grabouw
Peregrine stocks the largest collection of locally produced
wines at very competitive prices. Established in the
1960s, Peregrine is famous for its home baked breads
and tarts, biltong and freshly home made apple juice.
Tel: 021 848 9011
Cell: 083 324 4766
Email: peregrin@iafrica.com
The name THANDI, pronounced taan-di
is the Xhosa word for love, and is the powerful symbol
for the projects message 'Growing Together with Love'.
Susan Kraukamp and her team will introduce you to a
selection of treats and fresh farm produce ranging from
home-grown vegetables to fruit. Alternatively you can
savour a mouth-watering meal on the stoep in summer
or beside the log fire in winter. Enjoy with one of
the award-winning Thandi wines or perhaps some freshly
squeezed Elgin apple juice.
Tel: 021 844 0343
Bellows Restaurant & Lime Light
Lounge
in Botriver
The Botriver Hotel has been operating
since the turn of the century. Travel back in time and
be part of the yesteryear splendor with the Victorian-styled
country hotel and pub, or take a steam train trip and
visit us for the best in local cuisine.
The local pub is a very popular stopover,
with interesting memorabilia from the past. The Lime
Light Lounge is a new extension to the existing premises,
and can host functions, private parties, live music
etc.
Watch this space for forthcoming events
and special occasions.
Tel: 028 284 9640
Website: www.Botriver.co.za
Email:
hotel@com2000.co.za
on the Van der Stel Pass
Home made breakfast, lunch or dinner available by arrangement.
Expect fresh organic food from the garden and the farm:
meals vary depending on the season. Sit on the porch
overlooking the water and listening to the birds or
inside the historic homestead next to the fireplace.
Don’t leave without a block of farm-churned butter,
a loaf of freshly baked bread and a case of hand-bottled,
hand-labeled wine.
Tel/Fax: 028 284
9769 (Elreida)
Visitors to our valley can enjoy true small town hospitality
at our “Kelkiewyn” farm stall and fully
licensed restaurant. The name Kelkiewyn was given to
our farm stall because of its a dual meaning, one being
the Afrikaans word for a wineglass and the other being
a bird kind also known as the Namaqua Sand Grouse often
found in our area near dams.
Situated on the banks of the
Elands River the farm stall offers a wide range of curios,
dried fruit, wine boutique and bar accessories. Our
fully licensed restaurant serves light meals and offers
indoor and outdoor seating on the banks of the river.
Adjacent to Kelkiewyn is the newly established Tractor
Museum, the first of its kind in the country. Ask for
the key in the farm stall and see these old machines
of the heydays in perfect working condition
Tel: +27 28 840 1120
Fax: +27 28 840 1833
Website: www.vilko.co.za
Email: info@vilko.co.za
Villa Exner's resident chef creates gorgeous menus du
jour, mixing local and international trends with freshest
ingredients. Accompanied by fine local wines, dinners
are served on the shaded verandah overlooking the mature
garden and rolling lawns or in the dining room with
open log-fires. Villa Exner is also available for conferencing
and functions.
Booking is essential.
Tel: 021 859 3596
Website: www.villaexner.com
Email: info@villaexner.com
|
Beaumont
Wine
Luddite
Wines 
Wildekrans
Wine Estate
Elgin
Vintners 
Oak
Valley Wines 
Peregrine
Farm Stall 
Thandi
Farm Kitchen