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The historic town of Stellenbosch might be a bustling university town, but it has also left its mark on the South African culinary landscape.
The Western Cape, including Stellenbosch, is home to some of the best restaurants and chefs in the country, and the world.
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And for the month of August, visitors to the region can treat their tastebuds to some of the most memorable cuisines, whether that may be a burger or a seven-course fine dining menu, you’ll find whatever your heart desires in the bustling town.
Having kicked off on 1 August, ‘Stellenbosch Food & Wine’ is based on the popular annual Restaurant Week celebration, but will run for the entire month concluding on 31 August, giving diners, visitors and foodies a whole month to discover the culinary delights that await.
There will also be plenty of fantastic deals and specials at a wide variety of local eateries for visitors to take advantage of.
Visit Stellenbosch CEO Jeanneret Momberg says Stellenbosch has been enjoying an exciting ‘culinary renaissance’, with many new restaurants and eateries opening in Stellenbosch and in the surrounding winelands.
“We are seeing chefs from other areas opening new restaurants in town, and gourmands flocking to Stellenbosch to discover, eat and explore.”
Daniel Kriel, owner of De Warenmarkt and Taste Stellenbosch Chairman, says the town’s centre gives visitors a unique opportunity to enjoy as much as possible from the region. With more than 60 restaurants offering elegant small plates, fine dining, bistro fare or casual dining across a wide range of specialities including traditional South African, Japanese, Italian, Lebanese, Indian and French cooking, as well as a couple of excellent steak houses, visitors will be spoiled for choice.
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With 17 wine bars in Stellenbosch, you can also visit pretty much every single wine farm in the region without having to drive to all of them. The best part of all is that you can park your car in town and walk from wine bar to wine bar as they are all in close proximity to each other, and the Gauteng crime wave seems to have missed that beautiful part of the country.
There’s also some good news for those who are not fortunate enough to head down to the Cape Winelands for August – you can order some of your favourite wines from the Stellenbosch wine region on the newly launched Simon Wine Emporium website.
But what makes this wine website different from all the others out there?
“This is not only a website; we have done a vertical integration where we have the website and a friendly face of bricks and mortar in a wine bar in Stellenbosch. Both the wine bar and the website offer over 200 wines from the Stellenbosch region from 79 wine producers,” says Kriel.
Another point that makes Simon Wine Emporium stand out, is the fact that all their wines are sold at cellar door prices – both on their website and in their wine bar in Stellenbosch.
Kriel says while the website was only launched three months ago, they are planning on becoming South Africa’s premiere wine retail merchant, with plans to expand globally as well.
One of the website’s best-selling points for me is that you can order mixed cases of wine, with three different categories to choose from, from the entry level wines to your more expensive wines.
Kriel adds that they have some very special wines available on their website that you are no longer able to find in retail.
“There are some amazing vertical tastings available. Can you imagine tasting a Simonsig Tiara over six years or a Kanonkop.”
The website also shows you the ageing potential of the wine as well as which foods the wine will pair best with, so it’s an excellent place to shop whether you are a collector or just want to host a wine and food pairing evening at home for your friends.
Visit www.simonwineemporium.co.za for more information.
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