This Week's Best in the Winelands 🇿🇦🍷

SPONSORED BY ZORORA SOFAS

Good Morning, Insiders ☕️

Grab your coffee - there’s a whole lot of amazing happening right here. Tonight it's boots, bubbles and a mechanical bull at Daisy Jones (yip, really), and come Saturday the whole Winelands seems to have the same idea: give back. Mandela Day lands on the 18th, and with 67-minute readathons, fun runs and donation drives popping up from Stellenbosch to Franschhoek, there's no shortage of easy ways to make it count.

Oh, and if your lounge has been due an upgrade or your Wednesday dinner plans are still open - we've got you covered on both fronts below.

Here’s our lineup for you today 👇

The Honky Tonk Hoedown
📅 Today, 16 Jul | From 17:30 📍 Daisy Jones, Stellenbosch • Country music, line dancing & mechanical bull. 🎟 From R150 | Here

Lisie Basson Live at Die Platteland
📅 Sat 18 Jul | From 12:00 📍 Die Platteland • Live music, Springboks on the big screen & DJ Wigo. 🎟 FREE

Van Der Aven: Raw & Unplugged
📅 Fri 24 Jul | 18:00-20:00 📍 Heuer Pianos, Stellenbosch • Intimate acoustic show with wine & canapés. 🎟 R350 | Book here

Festa Fest
📅 Sat 25 Jul | From 17:00 📍 Festa Restaurant, Wellington • Unlimited red wine, live music and dancing. 🎟 R150 | More here

Bookshelf at Ken Forrester Wines
📅 Thu 30 Jul | 18:00 📍 Ken Forrester Wines, Stellenbosch • Wine, soup, bread and an evening of literary conversation (Afrikaans). 🎟 R250 | Info here

My Dogter se Brein
📅 Wed 22 Jul | 18:00-21:00 📍 Stellenbosch • Practical parenting workshop for parents of girls aged 8+. 🎟 R450 | Info here

Christmas in July at Baccō Estate
📅 Sun 26 Jul | 12:00 📍 Baccō Estate, Paarl • Italian-inspired festive long-table lunch. 🎟 From R400 | Here

Morgenster Quiz Night
📅 Thu 30 Jul | 18:00-22:00 📍 Morgenster Estate, Somerset West • Gather your smartest friends for wine, trivia and prizes. 🎟 R600 per team | Here

Glow & Gather Makeup Evening
📅 Thu 23 Jul | 17:00-21:00 📍 Groot Drakenstein Games Club • Interactive MUD makeup workshop with drinks & canapés. 🎟 R350 | More here

Wine Town Walk & Run
📅 Sat 25 Jul | From 07:15 📍 Dornier Wine Estate • Scenic 5km or 10km trail through vineyards and forest. 🎟 From R180 | Enter here

Devonvale 5km Night Run/Walk
📅 Fri 31 Jul | 18:30 📍 Devonvale Golf & Wine Estate • Evening 5km run/walk with prizes and lucky draws. 🎟 Adults R100 | Kids R50 | Enter here

Tortellini Making Day & Italian Lunch
📅 Sat 18 Jul | 10:30 📍 AYAMA Wine Farm, Paarl • Make fresh tortellini, enjoy a 3-course Italian lunch and take your pasta home. 🎟 R435 | More here

Kleine Zalze: Family Reserve Through Time
📅 Thu 23 Jul | From 18:00 📍 Kleine Zalze Restaurant • Five-course dinner, rare vintages and live music. 🎟 R1,850 | E-mail to book

Thelema Dining Experience & Cellar Tour
📅 Thu 23 Jul | From 17:30 📍 Thelema Mountain Vineyards • Cellar tour, roaming tasting stations and a gourmet dinner with rare wines. 🎟 R1,500 | Here

Retro Rouge - Flavours of Winter
📅 Sat 25 Jul | 10:00 📍 Muratie Wine Estate • Winter wine festival with tastings, hearty food and live music. 🎟 R220 | Info here

Simonsig Vintage Day 2026
📅 Sat 25 Jul | 11:00 📍 Simonsig Family Vineyards • Rare vintage tastings, live music and great food. 🎟 R450 | More here

Shiraz, Shanks & Comedy
📅 Sat 25 Jul | From 18:00 📍 Goatshed, Fairview Wine Farm • Four-course dinner, wine pairings and Nik Rabinowitz live. 🎟 R975 | Book here

Candlelit Conversations
📅 Thu 30 Jul | 18:00 📍 Nederburg Wine Estate • Long-table dinner with Nederburg's winemakers. 🎟 R995 | Info here

Estate Lamb Dinner
📅 Fri 31 Jul | 18:30 📍 The Kraal at Joostenberg • Syrah tasting followed by a three-course lamb dinner. 🎟 R590 | E-mail to book

🚗 Worth the drive…

Noël in July
📅 Sat 25 Jul | 17:00-21:00 📍 Mo & Rose Nature Retreat, Klaasvoogds, Robertson • Christmas-in-winter feast with live choir and festive fun. 🎟 R600 | Info here

· New in Paarl: Maria's Coffee Roastery has officially opened at 165 Main Road, bringing its much-loved Karoo-roasted, small-batch coffee and signature blends to the Winelands.

· Art Meets Coffee at Café 1865: Pop into Café 1865 in Somerset West on Fri 17 Jul (15:00-17:00) for the launch of a new exhibition by local artists. Enjoy the paintings, sculptures and a complimentary glass of wine.

· Kanu Wines Closing for a Refresh: Kanu Wines will be closed from 22-28 July while the estate undergoes renovations to enhance the visitor experience. They'll reopen on Wednesday, 29 July.

· Spotted a Pothole? Drakenstein residents can now report potholes, illegal dumping, overgrown verges and other non-emergency municipal issues via the SeeClickFix app or website, then track the progress of their report.

🍷 FREE Seriously Old Dirt? Don't Mind If We Do...

If you needed an excuse for a midweek dinner out, here it is. De Vier Restaurant is pouring a complimentary glass of Vilafonté Seriously Old Dirt with every main meal, Wednesday to Saturday evenings, until 31 July. 🍷

But that's not all... Buy a bottle of Seriously Old Dirt while you're there and you'll automatically go into the draw to win a 1.5L Vilafonté Seriously Old Dirt Magnum - a seriously impressive addition to any wine collection.

Offer valid: Wed - Sat evenings until 31 July 2026.

📍 De Vier Restaurant, 19 Mark Street, Stellenbosch
🕒 Mon-Sat | 11:00-22:00

Sunny starts, soggy finish. Today and Friday bring the best of it - partly cloudy to cloudy, highs of 20-21° and barely a drop of rain in sight. The weekend cools slightly with a chance of AM showers creeping in Sunday. From MonDAY it's a steady slide - showers building through Tuesday and settling into proper rain by Wednesday (66%!), with highs dipping to 15-16°.

Insider take: Get your outdoor plans in early in the week - by Wednesday you'll want the fireplace on, not the sunnies.

4-Bed Family Home, Val de Vie Estate

Grace, garden and mountain views, all in one Paarl address. This 4-bed, 4-bath home pairs a country-style kitchen and dual lounges with a solar-and-battery setup, wine cellar, and a lift to the upper level. Every room borrows the view - vineyards, mountains, or the English-style garden below. 👉🏼 Take a look inside

🗣️ RETIRED, NOT DONE: REDISCOVERING YOUR RELEVANCE

Ever feel like you retired from a job, not from being needed? You're not alone. So many Baby Boomers & Gen X’s are stepping out of decades-long careers with all that drive still fully switched on - and no idea where to point it.

Here's the truth: relevance was never about how busy you are. It's about what you bring to a room - the calm, the wisdom, the way you read a situation before anyone else does. That doesn't retire with you.

This week's Insider take: manage your energy, not your hours. Notice when you're sharpest, protect that time for what matters most, and let "not right now" be a full sentence for the rest.

And with Mandela Day landing on 18 July, there's no better moment to redirect that energy outward. Mandela's own call was simple - give 67 minutes of your time to others, in honour of his 67 years of service. For anyone sitting on a well of experience and wondering where to spend it, this is the nudge: mentor someone, volunteer locally, show up for a cause. Purpose doesn't come from staying occupied - it comes from staying useful, on your own terms. ✨

🇿🇦 MANDELA DAY EVENTS

Mandela Day Fun Run & Walk
📅 Fri 17 Jul | 08:30 📍 Villiera Wine Farm, Stellenbosch • 5km fun run/walk supporting the Pebbles Project.

67 Minutes of Service
📅 Fri 17 Jul | 09:30-12:00 📍 Helderberg Hospice, Somerset West • Spend 67 minutes gardening, crafting or helping the Hospice.

67 Minutes for Paws & Claws
📅 Sat 18 Jul | 10:00-13:00 📍 Glen Graze Rescue Sanctuary • Help rescue animals and bring pet food, blankets or baking supplies.

Mandela Day on the Stellenbosch Art Mile
📅 Sat 18 Jul | 10:00-18:00 📍 Stellenbosch Art Mile • Walk the Art Mile, support local vendors and celebrate Madiba's legacy.

Mandela Day Art, Culture & Storytelling
📅 Sat 18 Jul 📍 Dwarsrivier Valley, Stellenbosch • Guided heritage, food, wine and storytelling experience. 🎟 R750

67 Steps of Colour
📅 Sat 18 Jul 📍 Franschhoek Valley Community Sports Centre • Community initiative celebrating hope, inclusion and mental health.

Mandela Day Donation Drive
📅 Sat 18 Jul 📍 Winelands Guide Office, Groot Drakenstein • Drop off donations and help spread kindness this Mandela Day.

67-Minute Mandela Day Readathon
📅 Sat 18 Jul | From 11:00 📍 Die Oude Leeskamer, Stellenbosch • Stories and reading fun for children aged 8-10.

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