Hello, Winelands

Happy Heritage Day! The fires are being lit, the schools closed yesterday for 12 days, and the forecast is being kind.

And there's one more reason to raise a glass today: Winelands Insider turns one. 🎈 A year of Thursdays, and you've read every one of them with us. Thank you. There's a little note from us just below.

Then it's straight into business, because the next ten days are busy. A comedian who got stuck in Dubai, a Pinotage you've probably never tasted, a secret table at Babylonstoren, two Oktoberfests and a holiday club that gives you four hours back.

One year ago, we pressed send on the very first Winelands Insider.

We had a simple idea: make it easier to know what’s happening around the Winelands.

You lot know very well, there is SO much going on across Stellenbosch, Paarl, Somerset West and Franschhoek - brilliant events, new businesses, hidden gems, family activities, great places to eat, local stories, beautiful properties, good deals and plenty of things worth getting out of the house for.

The problem? It was all scattered everywhere.

An Instagram story here. A WhatsApp message there. A poster you only spotted after the event had happened. A new restaurant you somehow didn't hear about until everyone else had already been.

So we decided to do the digging.

Every week, we go looking for the best stuff and bring it all together in one place.

And somewhere along the way, the Winelands Insider became much more than a weekly events email.

It has become our little window into the community.

Over the past year, we've discovered incredible local businesses, met some wonderful people, uncovered stories we might otherwise have missed and, most importantly, heard from readers who have told us that they've found somewhere new, booked something because they saw it in the Insider, discovered a local business or simply found something fun to do that weekend.

Those messages genuinely make our day. Because that's exactly why we do this.

We want to inform and inspire the people who live here.

We want to make it easier to discover what's on your doorstep, support local businesses, find something new to try, make a plan for the weekend or simply feel a little more connected to this very special corner of the world.

And we can confidently say, after a year of doing it, the Winelands is pretty hard to beat.

So today, we're raising a glass to ONE YEAR of the Winelands Insider. 🥂

Thank you for opening it, reading it, clicking through, sharing it with friends, replying to us, sending us your stories and continuing to come back every week.

Here's to year two - and plenty more discovering, doing, eating, exploring and enjoying along the way!

With love,
Monique and Marilee xx

One year in numbers:

52 newsletters sent
Read 15k+ times a month
1,041 events shared
300+ local businesses featured
4 towns covered
1,400+ cups of coffee consumed while putting it all together 😂

What Remains: Exhibition Opening at Relevant Art
📅 Thu 24 Sep | 18:00-21:00 📍 Relevant Art, 125 Main Road, Paarl
Stitch and collage by Cathy Milner and Nicolette von Wiese. A thoughtful end to Heritage Day. 🎟 Opening night, all invited

Dalin Oliver: Stuck in Dubai
📅 Fri 25 & Sat 26 Sep | 19:30 📍 The Old Mill Theatre, Paarl
His award-winning show about being stranded in Dubai. A true story, told very funnily. 🎟 R150 | Book here

Leatherwork Day: Make a Dog Collar & Leash
📅 Sat 26 Sep | 08:30-15:30 📍 Soetmelksvlei at Babylonstoren, Simondium
Hand-stitch a collar and leash, with lunch included. Four places, ages 16+. Leave the dog at home. 🎟 More here

Artist Talk: Nina Kruger on the Stellenbosch Art Mile
📅 Thu 1 Oct | 18:00-19:00 📍 Opposite Paul Roos Kwikspar, Valerida Centre, Piet Retief Street, Krigeville
A free walk-and-talk with the fibre artist on the outdoor gallery along the Eerste River. 🎟 Free, RSVP here

Paarl Adventure Festival
📅 Thu 24 - Sun 27 Sep 📍 Spice Route Destination, Paarl
Trail runs, rides, a free night MTB ride on Friday, and the Western Cape Downhill on Sunday.
🎟 Programme | Entries

Blouklip Trail Run
📅 Sat 26 Sep | 08:00📍 Waterford Estate, Stellenbosch
8km, 15km or 25km on private farm trails, with wine, food trucks and live music at the finish.
🎟 From R350 | Enter here

Spier Winemakers' Dinner: Creative Block
📅 Fri 25 Sep | 18:00 📍 Veld at Spier Hotel, Stellenbosch
Four courses paired with Spier's most-awarded blends, cooked from the farm garden.
🎟 R950pp incl. bubbles, pairings and coffee | 021 809 1100 or E-mail here

Heritage Afternoon Tea at Hazendal
📅 Fri 25 - Sun 27 Sep | 14:30 📍 Marks Lounge, Hazendal Wine Estate, Stellenbosch
Braaibroodjie fingers, milk tart choux buns and a pianist. Last weekend to book. 🎟 R450pp | Book here

Dalewood x Vergenoegd Löw: A Storytelling Lunch
📅 Sat 26 Sep | 11:30 arrival, lunch 12:30 📍 Clara's Barn, Vergenoegd Löw, Stellenbosch
Two farms, one long sharing lunch, and a special 18-month Huguenot cheese. Our kind of Saturday. 🎟 R750pp, 40 guests | Book here

Wine & Dine with Boschendal: The Final Dinner
📅 Sat 26 Sep | From 18:00 📍 Oude Werf Hotel, 30 Church Street, Stellenbosch
Four courses with Boschendal pairings and live music. Very good value with all the wine included. 🎟 R545pp | E-mail to book

Wine Edu Wednesday: Chenin Blanc
📅 Wed 30 Sep | 17:30 for 18:00-19:00 📍 The Wine Glass, Stellenbosch
A relaxed Chenin class with a winemaker. Only 10 seats. 🎟 R50pp | WhatsApp +27 82 555 2332 or E-mail here

Perdeberg Winemaker's Dinner
📅 Fri 2 Oct | 18:00 📍 STEEN Restaurant, Perdeberg Cellar, Windmeul, Paarl
Six courses, six wines, and the winemaker at your table.
🎟 R695pp | Book here or 021 869 8244

Clos Malverne Gourmet Evening
📅 Fri 16 Oct 📍 Clos Malverne Wine Estate, Devon Valley Road, Stellenbosch
The estate's gourmet evenings are back with a new look: four courses, each paired with Clos Malverne wines. One for the diary. 🎟 R790pp | Book here or 021 865 2022

The ally every employer needs

You wouldn't do your own tax return, so why handle labour law alone? JobLaw works for employers only, and its advisors are members of a registered employers' organisation, so they can represent you in labour forums, not just advise. What started locally now serves businesses nationwide and abroad. You get the loyalty of a business partner with the economics of an independent professional.

🔗 joblaw.co.za | 021 919 6418

It's school holidays. Plan accordingly. Schools closed yesterday and are back on Tuesday 6 October. Expect busier farm restaurants, fuller play areas and longer queues at the usual spots, so book ahead where you can. Little Insiders, below, has you covered.

Brownish tap water in Stellenbosch? It's safe. Stellenbosch Municipality says its drinking water meets the national SANS 241 standard, with routine lab tests and independent CSIR checks both coming back clear. The tint comes from tannins in fynbos and plant material washing into the dams after rain, a bit like tea steeping. It changes the colour, not the safety. No need to stock up on bottled.

900kg of rubbish out of the Berg River On World Clean-up Day last Saturday, volunteers joined Drakenstein Municipality along the Berg River and the stormwater channel at the Chris Hani Bridge in Mbekweni, and pulled out more than 900kg of waste. Strandlopers and the Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve led the day, with Paarl Rotary, Clift College, Malan's Dairy and others rolling up their sleeves. Good work, Paarl.

12 days of holidays. Here's where to start.

Hero Legacy Kids' Bike Class
📅 Fri 25 Sep | 16:00-17:00 📍 Pump Track, Spice Route, Paarl
For ages 2-13, from push-bikes up. 🎟 Free, just bring a bike and helmet

Museum Saturday at the Rupert Museum
📅 Sat 26 Sep | 10:00-16:00 📍 Rupert Museum, Stellenbosch
Heritage activity trails for ages 3-13, with a prize draw for finishers. 🎟 Free | Details here

Sip & Bloom at Compagniesdrift
📅 Sat 26 Sep or Sat 3 Oct | 10:00-12:00 📍 Compagniesdrift, R310, Stellenbosch
Kids make a flower box while you taste four wines. 🎟 Adults R150, kids R100 | E-mail to book

Roar Around Holiday Club
📅 Mon 28 Sep (09:00-13:00), Wed 30 Sep (13:00-17:00), Thu 1 Oct (09:00-13:00) 📍 Roar Around, Somerset West
Four hours of drop-and-go play, with lunch included. Parents, save this one. 🎟 R485 per child, 10% off siblings | E-mail or WhatsApp +27 72 610 3328

Oktoberfest at Lourensford Market
📅 Fri 2 Oct (17:00-22:00), Sat 3 & Sun 4 Oct (11:00-16:00) 📍 Lourensford Wine Estate, Somerset West
A pretzel and a beer for R80, plus the usual lawns and play areas. 🎟 Free entry

Simonsvlei Beer Festival
📅 Sat 3 Oct | 11:00-18:00 📍 Simonsvlei Winery, Old Paarl Road, Paarl
A stein-holding challenge, best-dressed prizes and a jumping castle. Under-18s free. 🎟 R50 incl. cup and first beer | Tickets

🍔 New in Paarl: Free Wedges at Príma Burgers

A new burger spot has opened at Parelberg, and it's already earned a place in the group chat. Príma's philosophy is simple: do things properly. Think 100% veld-reared beef, handmade brioche, American cheddar and house-made sauces.

🔥 Free wedges with any Príma burger, every Tuesday, in-store and online📍 Príma Parelberg, R301 Wemmershoek Road, Paarl

Holiday tip: Tuesday dinner with the kids, sorted.

Heritage Day starts cloudy, then warms to 25° and stays dry, which is good news for anyone with a fire going. Friday afternoon brings a few showers, so the indoor plans (comedy, dinners) win that day. The weekend is mild and dry, 21-22°, with Saturday clearing nicely by the afternoon.

Then the holidays get properly good: Monday to Wednesday are clear and sunny, climbing to 29° by Wednesday.

Top days: Heritage Day, Saturday afternoon, and Mon 28 - Wed 30. Book the picnic.

At the end of a quiet cul-de-sac with mountain views, this one feels made for long lunches that turn into long weekends. The double-volume living room with its fireplace and mezzanine is the heart of it, opening onto a covered terrace and a garden that's had years to grow into itself.

Then there's the bit that makes you stop scrolling: a proper lap pool with its own pool house and sauna. Upstairs, the bedrooms have cathedral ceilings. The main suite has a walk-in dressing room and its own study.

See the full listing

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the iloveboobies Imagine Challenge is an easy way to turn your usual walks into something that counts. Pick a goal for October, like 60km of running, walking or hiking, 300km of cycling, or 20 hours of any movement, and log it at your own pace.

Every entry pays for a free breast screening for a South African woman who couldn't otherwise get one. The first 5,000 entrants get a gift box.

A month of vineyard walks, for a very good reason. 🎟 Sign up here

A weekend drive: the Swartland Olive Festival It's about an hour from Paarl, and this weekend (Fri 25 - Sun 27 Sep) Riebeek Kasteel's town square is all about olives. Think tastings of extra virgin oils and tapenades, chef demos, Swartland wine, live music from RAAF and Robin Auld, and a new Friday-night street party on Plein Street. Under-8s go free. Go for the olives, stay for the late lunch. 🎟 Tickets

And a little birthday "did you know?" Pinotage was born in Stellenbosch. In 1925, Professor Abraham Perold crossed Pinot Noir with Cinsaut (then called Hermitage) at Stellenbosch University, hence the name. A hundred years on, it's still ours.

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