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No. 26 Hidden Valley Wines – Stellenbosch

Posted on Oct 4, 2016 1 Comment on No. 26 Hidden Valley Wines – Stellenbosch

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.

hidden-valley-wines-signage-the-wine-girl-cape-town
Don’t laugh at this photo, I climbed a mountain in heels to get this shot 🙂

 

I have rated this wine farm experience 5 star.

five-stars-rating-symbols

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:

You can go in the Summer or winter months but I would recommend that this is more of a Summer venue.
LOCATION:
Situated about a 50-60 minute drive from Cape Town.
Take the N1, the R300, Stellenbosch Arterial and then Annandale road.
Google Map
OTHER RATINGS: 

View other ratings on Trip Advisor:

TripAdvisor

https://www.tripadvisor.co.za/Attraction_Review-g312673-d3998035-Reviews-Hidden_Valley_Wines-Stellenbosch_Western_Cape.html 

Click HERE to view the ranking of this farm against others I have already reviewed.

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION: 

Visit Stellenbosch wine routes for more information on Wine farms in Stellenbosch.

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.

pano-3

hidden-valley-wines-ramp-up-to-tasting-room

panorama-2

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

hidden-valley-wines-tables-with-view-and-people

I started off with a self guided cellar tour.

hidden-valley-wines-door-and-entrance

It is pretty modern and all open plan.

the-wine-girl-cape-town-cellar-tour

hidden-valley-wines-cellar-tanks  hidden-valley-wines-downstairs-area

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

the-wine-girl-cape-town-at-hidden-valley-wines

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.

hidden-valley-wines-olives

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.

hidden-valley-wines-views-with-olives

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.

hidden-valley-wines-rose-hidden-treasure

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

hidden-valley-wines-hidden-treasure-rose

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

the-wine-girl-cape-town-and-rose-wine-close-up

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.

hidden-valley-wines-with-the-wine-girl-cape-town-hidden-secret

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.

hidden-valley-wines-hidden-secret-with-louis

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.

hidden-valley-wines-bordeaux

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.

hidden-valley-wines-hidden-gems-with-olive-tree

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!

hidden-valley-wines-selection

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.

hidden-valley-wines-and-chocolate-pairin

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!

hidden-valley-wines-sonja-with-the-wine-girl-cape-town

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

hidden-valley-wines-trees-and-entrance

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

hidden-valley-wines-lake-and-pathway hidden-valley-wines-nature-trail

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

hidden-valley-wines-lake

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.

hidden-valley-wines-face-the-wine-girl-cape-town

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

img_4822 img_4824

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

hidden-valley-wines-corny-couple img_4751

 

Cheers mom and dad! <3

 

 

 

 

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Posted in Bordeaux, MCC/Sparkling wine, Red Blend, Rosé, Stellenbosch, Uncategorized, Wine Farms Visited

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It’s a bling bottle of Italian Sparkling Wine 🙌💞 and it’s R500 a bottle 😜

It’s called Vino dell’Amore Petalo Pink Manzoni Moscato Rosé and 
is an exclusive and very rare sweet sparkling rosé wine.

This rare grape variety was created by crossing Raboso Piave and Muscat of Hamburg. It has the fresh and fragrant character of the original grapes, a low alcohol content and a distinctive, pleasantly sweet taste. The colour is delicately pink, brilliant, with fine and lasting perlage. 

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Neil Ellis Wines is my 141st South African wine fa Neil Ellis Wines is my 141st South African wine farm visit. They have a “newish” wine tasting centre in Stellenbosch which is absolutely lovely with incredible views.

They didn’t start off like that though, owner Neil Ellis, started winemaking in 1984 and would source grapes from all over Stellenbosch to make his wine in a rented cellar space. Today, this wine has made a brand for itself and is synonymous with top-quality reds! Especially Cabernet Sauvignon.

More info on my blog, link in bio. 

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Ever thought a wine bottle was so beautiful that y Ever thought a wine bottle was so beautiful that you simply had to re-use it? Get your hands on the @anthonijrupertwyne #protearange (this Sauvignon Blanc is only R76) and turn it into a masterpiece like such 😍

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Check that swirl! It’s a Cinsaut 2016 from @neil Check that swirl! It’s a Cinsaut 2016 from @neilelliswines 😍

This distinctive style of Cinsaut pays tribute to the heritage of the South African wine industry. A limited release wine, it demonstrates the distinctiveness of specific vineyard sites.

The grapes were sourced from a south-west facing bush vine vineyard grown in decomposed granite and table mountain sandstone.

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Felt like I was in France today at @vendomewineest Felt like I was in France today at @vendomewineestate in Paarl. 🍷😍 established in 1688!

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It’s a Cinsaut 2016 from @neilelliswines 😍 T It’s a Cinsaut 2016 from @neilelliswines 😍

This distinctive style of Cinsaut pays tribute to the heritage of the South African wine industry. A limited release wine, it demonstrates the distinctiveness of specific vineyard sites.

The grapes were sourced from a south-west facing bush vine vineyard grown in decomposed granite and table mountain sandstone.

This wine spent 17 months in 500 l French oak barrels; 20% new, 20% 2nd fill and 60% older.

R315 a bottle available on the Neil Ellis website. 

#cinsaut #redwine #drinkwine #winelife #winelover #stellenbosch #winepairing #capewinelands #winegirl #winecountry #wineswirl #vineyard #winetasting #drinksouthafrican #sawine #wosa #southafricanwine #spectacularsouthafrica #neilellis #neilelliswines

Hi I’m Leanne!

Hi fellow wine lovers! I’m Leanne, and I started out on this challenge in June 2016 to be the first woman to visit and blog about all 800 wine farms in the Western Cape. Read more...

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