Questions I get most often

For the high season — roughly November through March — two to four weeks is sensible, and longer over the Christmas and New Year period. Outside that, a week is usually enough. If your dates are tight, message me anyway: cancellations happen and I would rather tell you no than have you not ask.

Send an enquiry with your dates and group size, and we agree the plan by email or WhatsApp. The booking is confirmed once you have written confirmation of the date, group size, and itinerary from me. There is no online prepayment needed to hold a date.

Cancel 48 hours or more before the tour and you get a full refund, or a reschedule at no charge. Inside 48 hours a 50% fee applies, and no-shows are non-refundable. If I have to cancel for weather or safety, you choose between a full refund and another date. The full terms set this out formally.

Yes, with 48 hours notice and subject to availability. Rescheduling is free within that window — just tell me as early as you can.

From R2 450 per person for a full day, and R1 050 per person for the Estate to Estate mountain hike. Both include transport, all tasting fees, lunch, and the guide. There is a full breakdown on the pricing page.

Yes, at every estate we visit. You will not be asked to pay at a tasting room counter. The only money you might spend on the day is on bottles you decide to take home.

Per person. The tour is private either way — the rate does not change because other people have joined, because other people never join.

Larger groups, corporate days, and multi-day itineraries are quoted individually. Send me the numbers and dates and I will come back with a price.

A full day is about five to seven hours in the Winelands, or roughly eight hours door to door if you are coming from Cape Town. A half-day runs about four hours and covers two estates without a sit-down lunch.

Three on a full day, with lunch between the second and the third. Two feels rushed and four starts to blur — three is the number that lets you actually settle into each one.

Absolutely, and plenty of people do. If you have specific farms or grape varieties in mind, tell me and I will build the day around them. If you would rather not think about it, I will choose based on what you tell me you like.

Lunch at an estate restaurant is included. Tell me about allergies, vegetarian or vegan diets, or anything else in advance and I will pick a kitchen that handles it properly rather than improvising on the day.

Whatever you are comfortable in — the estates are relaxed. Bring a layer, because the Stellenbosch Mountain makes its own weather and a warm afternoon can turn cool. Comfortable shoes if there is a cellar tour or a vineyard walk in the plan.

Yes, and it is included. Pick-up from Cape Town accommodation is usually around 09:30, with the drive taking about 45 minutes. You are returned to the same address in the late afternoon. There is a page specifically on wine tours from Cape Town.

Yes. If you are already staying in the Winelands, pick-up is usually an hour later — around 10:30 — because you are starting so much closer.

If it suits you better, yes. We agree a meeting point in advance. Most people prefer the door-to-door option because it removes the last piece of planning from the day.

Two to twelve works comfortably. Larger parties can be arranged with enough notice — tell me the number and I will sort the vehicles.

Yes. The estates are almost all family-friendly, several have gardens or space to run around, and the kitchens cater for children. Let me know ages in advance so I can weight the route accordingly.

Completely fine and very common — pregnancy, driving the next day, or simply not drinking. Estates pour grape juice, alcohol-free options, tea and coffee, and nothing else about the day changes. There is also a non-alcoholic version of the tour designed around it.

No, and it is genuinely more fun if you do not pretend to. I hold WSET Level 3 and Cape Wine Academy certification, which mostly means I can pitch the day at whatever level you want — from first principles to fairly deep, depending on what you ask.

It is about 7 km over roughly six and a half hours, on uneven ground, with a steady climb rather than anything technical. All fitness levels are welcome because the pace is set by the group, but you should be comfortable walking for a few hours. Full detail is on the hike page.

Optionally, at the end. The hike finishes at Vriesenhof with a long lunch, and a tasting there is yours to take or leave.

We reschedule. The mountain is not worth doing in bad weather and I will not take a group up in it. That counts as a cancellation on my side, so you get a full refund or another date.