Valley Hopper Journal
A taste of Slanghoek. A day to slow down.
Discover wine tasting in Rawsonville and Slanghoek, with two family wine estates, a bakery stop and a country stay to help turn an outing into an escape.
Best for Wine lovers, country lunches, scenic day trips and vineyard weekends
A good wine-country day doesn’t need a long checklist. A couple of tastings, a meal worth making time for and mountains in the background can be more than enough.
Rawsonville and the Slanghoek Valley offer plenty of reasons to take that slower approach. Family wine farms sit among vineyards and farmland, with places to eat and stay that make it easy to stretch your visit beyond the tasting room.
This is a starting point for your outing: two wine estates to explore, a bakery and café for the journey, and an overnight option if you’re tempted to stay. Choose the stops that suit you and leave room to enjoy them.
Marais Family Wines
Start with a place where wine and the landscape come together. Marais Family Wines, on Breëland Farm in the Slanghoek Valley, has a tasting room overlooking the farm dam and vineyards.
The family estate’s farming roots reach back to 1847, while its wines give you plenty to explore in the glass. Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinotage feature alongside traditional sweet wines, offering a reason to try something beyond your usual favourite.
Breakfast and lunch dining make this a natural stop if you’d like to give one estate a little more time. Ask about the current tasting options and food offering when planning your visit.
Good for A vineyard tasting, breakfast or lunch, and discovering a family producer
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Opstal Estate
Opstal brings several pleasures of a Slanghoek outing into one destination: wine, food and a setting framed by vineyards and mountains.
This seventh-generation family wine farm offers tastings from its Heritage, Estate and Sixpence ranges. Allow time to discover the wines before settling in at the estate restaurant, where breakfast and lunch give you another reason to linger.
You can make Opstal the centre of your day rather than fitting it between too many other stops. If a lunch with a view is part of your plan, reserve a table and confirm the current menu and tasting arrangements directly with the estate.
Good for Wine tasting, a leisurely estate lunch and mountain views
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Ou Meul Du Toitskloof
A wine-country outing also needs a good food stop. Ou Meul Du Toitskloof, at Du Toitskloof Wines near Rawsonville, brings together a bakery, café and farmstall.
Make it your coffee-and-breakfast stop before exploring, or call in for something to take home. Artisan breads, pies, croissants and sweet treats sit alongside a casual café menu, while the deli shelves offer local products and pantry finds.
For families, the lawns and children’s play area add to its appeal. Think of this as the flexible stop in your day: sit down for a meal, pick up padkos or leave with a little taste of the valley for later.
Good for Coffee, bakery favourites and stocking up on padkos
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Die Eike
If you’re already wishing the outing could last longer, Die Eike is worth keeping on your list.
Set among vineyards, orchards and mountain scenery in the Slanghoek Valley, it combines guesthouse accommodation with a restaurant and garden surroundings beneath old oak trees. Its semi self-catering en-suite units include family options, giving you a base for exploring at a more relaxed pace.
A stay here lets you spread your wine-country plans across more than one day. Check room availability and restaurant bookings before travelling, then leave yourself time for a country meal and a quieter evening in the valley.
Good for A country meal and turning a day trip into an overnight stay
View listingMake the day your own
Choose one or two tastings, decide where you’d like to eat and confirm current opening hours, tasting fees and booking requirements. The listing buttons above lead to contact details and directions for each stop.
Arrange a designated driver or transfer for wine tasting. If you’re staying overnight, book your accommodation separately and build your outing around a pace you’ll enjoy.
Keep exploring
There’s more to discover in Rawsonville and Slanghoek
Use these stops as a starting point, then browse more local wine farms, restaurants and country escapes on Valley Hopper.
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