Things To Do in StellenboschLovane Boutique Wine Estate
Wine Tours & Tasting Cape Winelands
Where? Polkadraai Road, Vlottenburg, Stellenbosch, Western Cape.
When? Monday to Friday from 10h00 to 17h00 and Saturday from 09h30 to 16h00.
How? Call +27 (0)21 881-3827
How much? Price on request
Overnight? Stay at accommodation in Stellenbosch, in Western Cape
Beside the estate of Neethlingshof, you’ll find Lovane, a boutique wine estate. Their name originates from a Xhosa word U’Lovane which means Chameleon. In the old days, it was said that many a chameleon could be seen on the farm.
Many of their wines have Xhosa names. For example, their Petit Verdot ‘Umama’ means mother, the Cabernet Sauvignon ‘Utata’ means father. The other wines with names such as ‘tamkulu’ (grandfather), ‘lliwa’ (rock) ‘abantwana’ (children), ‘isivuno’ (harvest), ‘umgidi’ (feast) amd ‘iziko’ (fireplace).
Lovane has made their first dessert wine from Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s called the Sweet ‘77’ and has all the Cabernet characters but not as sweet as Port wine. Grapes are stomped by foot, vinified to the correct sugar level, fortified and spend 12 months in a barrel before bottling. It is a must with a dark pudding.
Due to its boutique status, their wines are not cheap but really delicious. The tasting room downstairs is modern but cosy. The hosts are friendly and seem to have a wealth of knowledge about wine. This is an estate which warrants a second or third visit.
To view more wine estates in the region see Bottelary Hills Wine Estates or see South Africa Wine Estates for a general overview and links to other wine producing regions.
