The Wine-Down Drive 2026
The Wine-Down Drive
1 November 2026 – 31 March 2027 | 17:00 – 19:00
Four Waterford Estate wines, including The Jem
R1,755 per person
To book, follow the link HERE and select the 17:00 slot
There is something about the late afternoon in Stellenbosch that invites you to slow down.
As the heat of the day softens and the light begins tosettle across the mountains, the landscape takes on a different character. It is this quieter, more unhurried side of summer that we invite you to experience on the Wine-Down Drive.
From 17:00, guests set out into the Waterford Estate landscape, travelling through the vineyards and into the rolling slopes of the Helderberg Mountain. Away from the bustle of the day, the drive offers a chance to experience the estate at a slower pace, with the Stellenbosch Mountains unfolding around you.
Along the way, four Waterford Estate wines are served, including The Jem, offering an opportunity to explore the estate through a selection of wines that speak to the character of our vineyards and the people who craft them. Each wine carries a sense of place, shaped by the soils, slopes and Mediterranean climate of the terroir through which you drive.
The wines are accompanied by a collection of carefully prepared bites inspired by the landscape and the flavours of the Cape. A selection of cheeses is served with preserves and toasties, alongside bobotie bitterballen with curried apricot, koeksister with fynbos syrup and renosterbos-smoked springbok carpaccio. Familiar flavours are given a Waterford Estate expression, with ingredients and preparations that connect the experience back to the land around you.
The Wine-Down Drive is not simply about the longer days of a Stellenbosch Summer. It is about taking the time to notice what surrounds you. The vineyards, the mountains, the fynbos and the wines all become part of the experience as the afternoon gives way to evening.
We finish the drive at 19:00, while the summer light keeps our valley light and vibrant. There is no need to rush towards the end of the day. Simply a glass of wine, something delicious to eat, and the feeling of being somewhere special.
This summer, take a little more time to ‘wine’ down.
