Discover the art of wintering in Stellenbosch

Inviting visitors to stay longer and experience the town's many heart-warming winter offers and events like a local, this winter is set to be the 'hottest' winter yet – with an array of new restaurants, wine bars and attractions on offer, including new and exciting masterclasses hosted by some of the town's award-winning chefs and culinary masterminds.

The destination will also be launching Stellenbucks Restaurant Rewards this August, offering visitors the opportunity to earn rewards at selected restaurants and receive a percentage of the bill back to enjoy at other establishments.

"We invite locals to discover the art of wintering in our warm-hearted town, embracing the new perspective of travelling in this cosy season," says Jeanneret Momberg, CEO of Visit Stellenbosch. "June to September is our lower season traditionally, which affords us an opportunity to reposition how visitors perceive our destination and travelling in the cooler months."

"Our message is this: Stellenbosch is open this winter. Themed under the pillars of food, wine, the outdoors, art and culture with a bit of romance and wellness, our Stay and Play Winter campaign ensures that every type of traveller will be inspired to visit Stellenbosch this season. And with Stellenbucks you can dine out and be rewarded for it."

Culinary masterclasses include:

• 1 August: Stellenbosch Terroir Tasting: Understand the thread that runs through a region's wine as we illustrate Stellenbosch regionality and the influence that terroir has on a wine. 10h00 for 10h30. Duration 2.5 hours. Includes a tasting of Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinotage, followed by a light lunch. For bookings: support@wineroute.co.za.
• 8 August: Bertus Basson Masterclass – a discussion and demonstration of how to make four dishes from the famous Bertus Basson stable. Priced at R850 excluding wine pairing and including a sit-down dinner at Eike. For more info email speelkamer@bertusbasson.com. 
• 26 August: South African brandy masterclass at Lanzerac led by brandy maverick, Shane Mumba. Includes pairing dinner. Priced at R1,250 per person. Booking through discover@lanzerac.co.za.

Look out for more masterclasses and winemaker dinners throughout the campaign.

Newly opened places, spaces and offerings for the season include:

• New wine bars in the historic town centre – Le Chant Wine Bar and Petites Bulles Champagne Lounge – are new additions to the thriving 10+ wine bars in the town – many in walking distance of each other.
• A mixology bar, Nocturne, is a newly opened sister establishment to popular Dusk – a multisensory restaurant that opened in September 2022 under the helm of Darren Badenhorst and Callan Austin. DUSK was named the best new restaurant in the 2022 Eat Out Restaurant awards.
• Korean food takeaway spot, Gochu Gang, is set to open in July.
• Spier is offering winter picnics for the first time – with a warm winter menu to match.
• Dine at Kantien, a new restaurant in Bertus Basson’s stable, offering next-level pizza and more casual fare.
• Pop in at upmarket eatery, Post & Pepper. Jess van Dyk, Head Chef and Owner recently won the Culinary Rising Star award in the annual national Luxe Restaurant Awards.
• Check out the Stellenbosch Outdoor Photography Exhibition (Scope) by the Stellenbosch Outdoor Trust.

Wine Town Stellenbosch

The ever-popular annual Wine Town Stellenbosch also returns from Tuesday, 1 August to Sunday, 6 August. Browse the program on the winetown.wineroute.co.za website. Events include a Cabernet Through the Ages Tasting at Waterford, Le Riche Cabernet (vertical vintages), steak lunches at De Warenmarkt and the Chenin Blanc takeover at the Wine Glass on Wednesday, 2 August.

"Along with the masterclasses, exciting new openings and a bumper-packed calendar of events, traditional winter itineraries in Stellenbosch include cosying up next to a roaring fire, exploring the historic oak tree-lined town centre, wine bar hopping, sampling the seasonal menus and winter specials, enjoying an art and cultural tour around town, or cycling the many mountain bike tracks," says Momberg.

"For Capetonians in particular, Stellenbosch is a 45-minute drive from the city, making it the perfect quick winter weekend away. We invite all South Africans to discover the art of wintering by staying and playing in Stellenbosch this winter," Momberg concludes.

Browse Stay and Play offers and events here. For more information, visit www.visitstellenbosch.org.