GM Insiders - welcome to your favourite Thursday read 😊

February is officially in full swing, and the Winelands’ calendar is showing off. From First Thursdays street buzz and creative mornings with sip & paint and floral workshops, to live music, trail hikes, coffee raves, rugby nights and more Valentine’s plans than Cupid could handle - there’s a lot happening out there ❤️🌿

Here’s this week’s full lineup👇

Kicking February off with the beloved First Thursdays (today!) Join the after hours street buzz with late-night gallery openings, good wine, great food & a relaxed summer vibe! Explore this month’s programme here 🥂

Sip & Paint
📅 Sat. 7th Feb. 1pm 📍 Schoon Laborie Café, Paarl
Join Cork & Canvas for a fun, feel-good sip & paint session at the gorgeous Schoon Laborie Café 🎟 R380 pp - Info here

Bloom & Brush: A Floral Art Morning
📅 Tue. 17th Feb. 8:30-12pm 📍 Stellenbosch
A slow, creative morning where flowers meet canvas. Paint, play with florals, and leave feeling inspired 🎟 R500 pp - Details here

Floral Workshop & Wine Pairing
📅 Sat. 21st Feb. 9:30-2pm 📍 Landskroon Wines, Paarl
Create your own bespoke floral arrangement during an intimate, hands-on workshop, paired with a curated wine tasting 🎟 R2,200 pp - Info here

Sunset Sweatshop Invades Daisy Jones
📅 Sat. 21st Feb. 5-11pm📍 The Daisy Jones, Summerhill Wines
A high-energy, no-holds-barred live show. Expect pounding drums, screaming guitars, sweat, chaos and a crowd that moves as one 🎟 From R100 - Details here

Erinvale Wine Society Evening
📅 Thu. 26th Feb. 6pm (for 6:30pm) 📍 Erinvale Hotel - Magnolia Social Dining Lounge
An informal, feel-good evening of exceptional wine and easy conversation. Meet the winemakers at your table, taste 10 wines from 3 producers, enjoy delicious dishes by Chef Sebastian 🎟 R495 pp - Info here

There’s still time to grab your friends and head to:

Afrikaans Oppi Platteland
📅 Sat. 7th Feb. 📍 Moreson Plaas, Die Platteland
🎟 Tickets here

Coffee Rave
📅 Sat. 14th Feb. 7:30-9am 📍 De Warenmarkt, Stellenbosch
Stellenbosch’s first-ever Coffee Rave. Fresh coffee, a barista on the decks and vibey beats to kick-start your Saturday. No booking required - just arrive early!

Harvest Festival at Grande Provence
📅 Sat. 21st Feb. from 10am 📍 Grande Provence Wine Estate
Experience harvest season up close. Grape picking, stomping, wine tasting & blending, plus a generous harvest lunch 🍷 Limited to 40 guests 🎟 R1,500 pp - booking essential: events(at)grandeprovence.co.za

FNB Varsity Cup - Maties Rugby
📅 From 23rd Feb. 📍 Danie Craven Stadium, Stellenbosch
Big student rugby energy is back 🔥 Catch the Maties in Varsity Cup action with affordable tickets and season packages available 🎟 Tickets from R50 | Season tickets from R300 - here

DID: Unconf Africa 2026
📅 24-26 Feb. 📍 STIAS, Stellenbosch
A collaborative African-focused unconference exploring the future of digital identity, with talks, panels and open-space discussions. 🎟 From R2,250 - More info here

Vergelegen Trail Hike
📅 Sat. 7th Feb. 8-4pm 📍 Vergelegen Wine Estate
A scenic 13km guided trail hike through protected landscapes. Finish with a wine tasting in a special location and a relaxed lunch to end the day. More info here

Run The Vines 2026
📅 Sat. 7th Feb. 7am📍 Ayama Wine Farm, Paardeberg
Choose your challenge: 5km, 10km or 17km trail runs through the vineyards. Enjoy scenic Paardeberg views, a relaxed vibe and a festive finish with wine, food and prizes 🎟 From R180 - Register here

Burnout Reset: Stress Online Workshop - Day 1
📅 Tue. 10th Feb. 10am 📍 Online
Feeling drained or overwhelmed? This live online workshop helps you recognise burnout, release stress and start reclaiming your energy 🎟 R200 - Details here

Run for the Dogs - Valentine’s Trail Run
📅 Sat. 14th Feb. 9-10:45am 📍 Animal Welfare Society Stellenbosch
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a feel-good 3km trail run (or jog or walk) through the vineyards - alongside an AWSS rescue dog. Two start times available (9:00 or 9:45am) 🎟 From R50 - Info here

The love just keeps on giving…🥰 and if you’ve missed last week’s Valentines ideas - we’ve got you! Here’s this week’s new finds to spoil a loved one (or yourself!)

Valentine’s Lovers Box - Erinvale
📅 Sat. 14th Feb. 12-5pm 📍 Oak Terrace or Magnolia Social Dining Lounge
Celebrate Valentine’s with a romantic lunch for two, including savory treats, sweets, and a bottle of bubbly 🎟 R895 per couple - Here

Valentine’s Sunset Pilates & Picnic
📅 Thu. 12th Feb. 5:15pm 📍 Spice Route Destination (lawns next to Jewell’s Restaurant)
Enjoy a sunset Pilates session followed by a relaxed picnic on the Winelands lawns 🎟see @paarlpilates

Valentine’s Day at Oude Werf
📅 Sat. 14th Feb. 📍 Oude Werf Hotel
A romantic evening beneath the vines with tapas-style dishes, wine, and soft live music 📧 reservations(at)oudewerf.co.za

Valentine’s Day Therapy Experience
📅 Sat. 14th Feb. 📍 Therapy Restaurant, Graham Beck Wine Estate
A sharing-style Valentine’s menu for two with welcome drink, curated dishes, and perfectly paired bubbles 🎟 R595 pp - Details here

Valentine’s Dinner & Wine Pairing
📅 Sat. 14th Feb. 📍 Petites Bulles
Celebrate love with a special Valentine’s dinner and wine pairing 🎟 R690 pp - booking essential

Valentine’s Couples Retreat
📅 27 Feb-1 Mar. 📍 Knorhoek Wine Farm
A weekend retreat for couples to reconnect and deepen intimacy amidst the Winelands ✨

HBK Galentine’s Table
📅 Sat. 14th Feb. 1-3:30pm 📍 Hazendal Wine Estate
An intimate Galentine’s gathering for women with styled tables, welcome drinks, light treats, and interactive moments 🎟 Details here

An Evening for Lovers
📅 Sat. 14th Feb. 5-8pm 📍 Pink Valley Wines
Romantic Valentine’s dinner among vineyards with optional estate wine pairing and a complimentary sparkling on arrival 🎟 Info here

Valentine’s Day Lunch
📅 Sat. 14th Feb. 12-3pm 📍 Geuwels, Stellenbosch
A relaxed Valentine’s lunch with a 3-course menu, welcome drink, and live music 🎟 R850 pp - Here

Candlelight Concerts - Valentine’s Day Special
📅 Sat. 14th Feb. 6pm📍 Cathedral Cellar, Paarl
A romantic candlelit evening featuring a Tribute to Queen & more 🎟 Tickets from R631 - Info here

🌱 Blaauwklippen Manor: Luxury, Legacy, and Life Renewed - After the devastating fire of April 2024, Blaauwklippen Manor has risen from the ashes. Lush greenery is flourishing once more, intimate spaces are alive with charm, and the historic surrounds have been beautifully restored.

On 1 February 2026, this 343-year-old Cape legacy reopens its doors, offering five-star accommodation on one of South Africa’s most historic wine estates. Rooted in centuries of history yet refreshed for a new era, Blaauwklippen Manor is a testament to resilience, heritage, and Cape Winelands luxury.

✨ Stellenbosch’s Victoria Street took on a reflective, hopeful feel this week as Stellenbosch University invited students, parents and staff to share their hopes and ambitions as part of its Dreamwalk initiative.

Handwritten notes-each capturing a goal, wish or quiet hope for the future were tied to trees along the street, offering passers by a moment to pause and reflect. From first year newcomers to long-time staff, the installation symbolised new beginnings and the collective journey ahead, with dreams quite literally planted to grow in the years to come.

🎉 Fun Day - Vredenheim Dierewerf & Roofdierpark
📅 7-8 Feb. 9-4:30pm 📍 Vredenheim Dierewerf & Roofdierpark, Stellenbosch
A fun-filled family day with wildlife encounters, slides, and outdoor adventure for all ages 🐾 🎟 Tickets from R50 - Info: 📧 dierewerf(at)vredenheim.co.za

🍸 Happy Hour Fridays @ Majeka House
📅 Every Friday 3-6pm 📍 MBar, Majeka House, Stellenbosch
Kick off the weekend with 50% off handcrafted cocktails and relaxed Stellenbosch vibes!

Here’s a reminder of our GIVEAWAY, and the prize is absolutely bringing the heat!

We’ve partnered up with the experts at Nudo Hair Lab Tygervalley who are giving away an unmissable prize to one lucky reader:

A R5,000 hair transformation voucher, including colour, customised treatments, and professional styling.

Giveaway rules:

The week starts warm with some clouds on Thursday and Saturday, but Friday, Sunday, and Monday look like absolute winners for winery visits, outdoor adventures, or just soaking up the sunshine. 😎 Pack your shades - it’s going to be a hot one!

When was the last time you did something just because it was enjoyable?

Not useful. Not impressive. Not secretly productive.

If nothing comes to mind, play may have quietly slipped out of your routine. For many adults, it happens gradually - work expands, energy narrows, and free time gets scheduled, optimised or sacrificed. What once felt restorative starts to feel optional, then unnecessary.

But enjoyment isn’t indulgent. It helps the brain regulate stress, recover from effort and reset between demands. Studies show adults who maintain hobbies experience lower stress, better sleep and stronger mental wellbeing - not because they excel, but because they regularly engage in low-stakes enjoyment.

When play disappears, the nervous system stays “on” for longer. Mental fatigue builds faster and emotional flexibility drops.

Bringing play back doesn’t need a plan. You don’t need to be good at it or prove it’s worthwhile. Start small: crafts, puzzles, knitting, gentle movement, music, gardening, cooking or reading purely for pleasure.

Don’t turn it into a project. Let enjoyment lead.

Fun doesn’t need to earn its place - sometimes, that’s the point. ✨

@theassistofficial

This week, ticking multiple boxes, we’re sharing a silky Coconut Milk Salmon Curry - ready in 30, perfect for an easy summer’s dinner.👌🏽

❤️ P.S. If you found something useful, please share it with others

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