4 Dewald Reinke - 4 months ago
The Fort Simon winery is definitely one of the farms in the area that is worth a visit. Turning off Bottelary Road, you take the gravel road all the way to the farm, but the road is normally in a good condition so you can get there with most vehicles. As you get closer to the farm you will notice the iconic "fort"-style building which the farm is named after. This fort is where the cellar is located, however the tasting center and restaurant also look like a fort from the outside. There is space inside as well as outside to do tastings, but I recommend you grab a table outside (if the weather is nice) as you get to experience the beautiful garden with a pool in the middel and then the 2 forts in the background. When we visited they had 2 tasting options available, with one showcasing their entry level wines and the other their premium wines. My wife and I decided to try both as they mostly have the same cultivars on both options so we could do a horizontal tasting and compare the wines to see which we enjoyed the most. The day we visited they were a bit short staffed and as the tasting staff also serve the restaurant they were under a lot of pressure, but they handled it well, with the manager even jumping in to assist. Although we didn't have anything to eat, I have heard their pizza is very good and it definitely smelt very tasty.
