Wine farm focus: Hazendal

Stretched across the Bottelary Hills in the Stellenbosch winelands, just 30 minutes out of Cape Town lies Hazendal wine estate. We visited the farm back in 2019 and the change we’ve seen between then and now is chalk and cheese. The farm has been based on the Bottelary Hills since 1699 when German settler Christoffel Hazenwinkel was granted 60 hectares of land. The farm changed hands quite a bit through the years and in 1994 current owner, Dr Mark Voloshin bought the farm. 2018 was the year that saw the restoration and redevelopment of the estate. All the old vegetation was pulled out and replaced with only that indigenous to the area. 

Wine sales manager, Jodi Schiff, took us on a tour of the world-class destination. We started off at The Car Pavillion. Here, the personal collection of Dr Mark Voloshin is housed. Fun fact - all of the classic cars were collected right here in South Africa and are all in working order. If you’re a car enthusiast I would highly recommend checking the collection out. Some of the cars in the pavilion are: 1978 Rolls Royce Corniche, the 1956 Bentley Continental, the 1948 Rolls Royce Silver Wraith as well as a 1956 Bentley S1 (1 of 35 made).

We made our way over to Wonderdal. I actually don’t have the words to try to begin to explain the world of wonders. Wonderdal is an edutainment experience that combines award-winning educational resources with technology to combine learning with play. Perfect for children between 5 and 13, kids can enjoy indoor and outdoor play fully supervised by trained Wonderpals. Everything at Hazendal is a 2 hour experience. Whether you’re having a session at the driving range, a full game on the par-3 course, or even a wine tasting, you can be rest assured that your kids are probably having a better time than you are.

The farm is filled with art from artists contracted to the farm. In addition to this, the Marvol Gallery is a unique exhibition space that provides a platform for cross-cultural collaboration between South Africa and Russia. Exhibitions get rotated often so there is always something new to see.

Set in the farm's original wine cellar, The Wine Lounge is where we tasted some of the beautiful Hazendal range. 

MCC 23.5 Blanc de Blanc

The mousse is fine with a creamy texture. This MCC is made 100% of Chardonnay. Classic flavours of green apple and melon fill the palate.

MCC 23.5 Blanc de Noir

Fruit on the nose with flavours of strawberries and raspberry on the palate. The mousse is fine and the texture creamy. 

Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc

Made up of 70% Semillon and 30% Sauvignon Blanc. The Semillon in the wine is responsible for the fruity and floral notes while the Sauvignon Blanc contributes a freshness and zestiness to the wine.

Chardonnay

Medium bodied with a lovely creamy finish. Beautifully complex. Flavours of citrus, pineapple and mango fill the palate. 

Pinot Noir

The finish is lengthy. The wine has beautiful earthy and smoky undertones. Flavours of plum, raspberry and strawberry compliment these undertones well.

Pinotage

All the red fruits you expect to taste from a pinotage. This South African varietal has lovely smokey notes with a lingering finish.

Visiting the farm is truly an experience that you don't want to miss out on. You can spend a full day there without even noticing the time move and those are the best type of days one could ask for.