Meet the beautiful Hidden Valley wines in Stellenbosch, number 26/800. #DoStellies
Did you know that the name “Hidden” is actually the surname of the previous owners. This is quite apt as it is too in a valley which is hidden.
Today, the farm is owned by previous CEO of Capitec Bank, Riaan Stassen. The farm is currently re-labeling their bottles and the brand identity is getting a re-freshed face, quite literally.

 

I have rated this wine farm experience 5 star.

OVERALL RATING	WINE	SERVICE	FOOD	LOCATION
91%	95%	95%	80%	95%

What an incredible venue and fantastic wines!

CHILD FRIENDLY? 

Not really. I would recommend this venue to a sophisticated young or older crowd.

This venue can cater for smaller or larger groups of people. 2-8 is recommended.

ACTIVITIES and OTHER AMENITIES: 

• Wine tasting
• Nature walk
• Function venue
• Olives & olive oil
• Chocolate and wine pairing
• Sculpture studio
• Restaurant

For more information, view this link.

BOOKING:
Booking is recommended in order to reserve a table however on quieter days, they are very accommodating.
CONTACT DETAILS:

• Tel: +27 (0) 21 880 2646 or +27 (0) 21 006 1022
• Email: info@hiddenvalleywines.co.za
• Fax: +27 (0) 21 880 2645

OPENING HOURS: 

• Wine Tasting: 7 days a week, 9am to 6pm in Summer & 9am to 5pm in Winter
• Overture Restaurant: Please check opening times here.

WHEN TO GO:

View other ratings on Trip Advisor:

http://www.wineroute.co.za/

Here is my experience:

I arrived fresh in the morning at 10am. This is the best time to go because you can pick a nice table and get good service. The early bird catches the worm 😉
There are many very high speed bumps along the way so ensure that you drive slowly and carefully.

You can see that this venue is wheelchair friendly with a large slope leading up to the wine tasting area and restaurant.

I started off with a self guided cellar tour.

It is pretty modern and all open plan.

  

The views outside are breathtaking! You can taste wines for R50 per person which includes a free olive platter.

You can below some of the older packaging of the wine for this estate. This is the Viognier 2013 which has the label representing the old family crest.
Hidden Valley grows some delicious olives and produces some great olive oil which is available for purchase or you can enjoy this platter.

The Viognier exudes fragrances of peach and on the palate is is refreshing yet well balanced with a hint of oak.
The wine was matured in french oak barrels for 8 months.  Extremely easy drinking. Only R155 a bottle.

I really had fun with this bottle below as you can see. The Hidden Valley Hidden Treasure Rosé. The bottle is especially produced for the estate overseas and is incredibly unusual.
This Rosé has got to be the best Rosé wine I have tasted to date. I could clearly smell and taste distinct cherry flavours.

I have never tasted a Rosé with this type of blend either: 72% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Shiraz.
It is only 13.50% alcohol and 1.57 g/l sugar.

The label on this wine shows the new branding which is quite different from the Viognier I have just shown.

It is incredibly modern, fresh and sophisticated. It will sure get your guests talking. R113 a bottle.

This was another interesting bottle type. The Hidden Valley Hidden Secret. A beautiful spicy blend of 70% Shiraz, 25% Tannat and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.
I was expecting something that is too spicy but I was surprised at how smooth it was. I think the Cabernet Sauvignon added just the right amount of fruitiness to the taste of the wine. The colour is a good deep ruby colour.

The tasting notes say: White pepper, spice and earthy tones invite to a juicy palate filled with red fruits, a hint of vanilla and typical Shiraz savoury notes. This is a wellstructured wine with smooth velvety tannins and a long, lingering finish. It has spent 18 months in 1st, 2nd and 3rd fill French Oak barrels. R202 a bottle.

This is another good name, the Hidden Valley Hidden Gems. It was incredibly smooth and almost purple in colour. 60 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Petit Verdot and 10% Merlot.
The wine was aged for 18 months in 1st, 2nd and 3rd fill French Oak barrels. It is 14.24% alcohol and 2.5g/l sugar.

Now what was interesting about this wine is that at first, you smell very clear notes of pencil shavings.
Then if you smell a bit deeper, you will pick up eucalyptus and black berries. It was incredible to smell.

On the palate you will experience an incredibly smooth wine with pungent berry flavours. On the finish you will experience a touch of mint.

This wine has just received a Grand’ Or Medal (Double Gold) at the Michelangelo awards ceremony this year and the Hidden Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2015 received a silver!

R202 a bottle.

Here you can see all the wine bottles lined up. I found out that there are two more interesting bottle designs to be added to this line up. One is of the Sauvignon Blanc which will get a smoky glass finish. You will have to see it for yourself to believe it. I was lucky enough to see it but not yet allowed to photograph it until it is released in 2017. another is of the MCC which they say will have an extremely long thin stem and then a full round base. Unusual indeed and I love it!

This is the chocolate and wine pairing. Each chocolate is especially made for the farm by a local producer and it is intended to bring out the flavour of the wine. R85 per person.

This is Sonja. What a pleasure it was to meet her. She runs the wine tasting room and is extremely knowledgeable and friendly.  Thank you Sonja!

If you get a little peckish, there is a wonderful restaurant.

Just a little walk from the wine tasting room, you will find yourself in a beautiful garden by a dam.

They were about to host a 40th birthday party here. This is certainly on my bucket list.

On the farm is an indoor sculpture gallery which I didn’t get to see but if you are the arty type, you should check it out.
Don’t forget to add this photo to your experience, it is lots of fun taking it so be sure to take a few of yourself 😉
This face is the new icon for Hidden Valley wines which is at the entrance to the estate.

The venue makes for some pretty cool couple shots if you are looking for a wedding or engagement shoot location.

I really enjoyed this farm visit with my family and you will too.

 

 

Cheers mom and dad! <3