October 2026

Places of interest within 20 minutes from home (1)

It’s time for a new series on our blog – and this is going to be a really fun one. We’re going to find out how many places of interest there is within a 20-minute drive from our home.

Warning: Don’t be surprised if most of these places have something to do with wine, because we live smack in the middle of wine country.

Some people measure distance in kilometres; we measure it in wine estates.

To confirm that we mean it seriously about ‘living in wine country’, we’re going to start with a morning visit to Meerendal Wine Estate.

Meerendal Wine Estate

Logistics:

  • From home: 11km/6.8 miles (12-minute drive)
  • From Cape Town: 32.6km/20.2 miles (40-minute drive)

Entrance at Meerendal Wine Estate

Meerendal Wine Estate dates back to 1702, which make this estate more than three hundred years old.

Tree lined road leading to Meerendal

Lovely agapanthuses at the parking area

Right at the top of the agenda was surprisingly not to taste wine, but to have breakfast (we figured it was still a tad too early for wine). Visitors are spoiled with not one, but two restaurants on the estate – Bossa Winelands and 1702 Heritage Kitchen. We decided to eat at the more casual restaurant, Bossa.

Bossa Winelands restaurant

There are indoor and outdoor seating areas

It wasn’t easy to choose between all the breakfast options – everything looked so delicious. But in the end, I went for the Waffle Stack and Berto chose a more traditional breakfast (fittingly named ‘The Goodtimes’). We started with hot drinks and finished breakfast with healthy Berry Smoothies.

Hot and cold drinks

Delicious breakfast

Satisfied with our breakfast, it was now time to take a stroll through the wine estate. There are lots of beautiful trees and green lawns at Meerendal, which makes a day here really enjoyable.

Lush garden at Meerendal

The most beautiful building at Meerendal is without a doubt the Cape Dutch homestead that’s been converted into a boutique hotel. With garden suites overlooking the vineyards and Boland Mountains, I’m sure tourists will have a wonderful time here. Set in such a picturesque area, I can understand why Meerendal is also a popular destination for weddings and conferences.

Boutique Hotel at Meerendal

The gardens are so beautiful here at Meerendal Wine Estate. The colourful roses climbing up the pergola are not only pretty but also have a lovely fragrance.

Beautiful garden

Lovely walkways

It was also interesting to see that the honour of the oldest registered vines within the Wine of Origin Cape Town, belongs to Meerendal Wine Estate. These vines were planted in 1938.

Oldest registered vines within the Wine of Origin Cape Town

Before we came to Meerendal, I read that there is a special place we have to visit. Cocoafair Chocolatier is apparently well-known under the connoisseurs of fine cacao creations. Well, I’m definitely not a connoisseur, but I do love chocolate.

Walkway to Cocoafair Chocolatier

Cocoafair Chocolatier

The moment we stepped into the deli, the smell of cocoa beans mixed with chocolate was just a-m-a-z-i-n-g. Handmade chocolates with innovative flavours are displayed on shelves and tables. There’s even a section where you can taste the different chocolates. I grinned widely at Berto and said: “Bring me a chair and leave me here for the day!”

One of many shelves filled with handcrafted chocolate

This is where the magic happens

Cocoa beans

Chocolate tasting time

It was really hard to choose a favourite

We came to Meerendal fully intending to do what one does at a wine estate: taste wine. Somehow, after a delicious breakfast, a leisurely wander through the gardens and an irresistible chocolate tasting, those plans quietly melted away.

Beautiful view from the Cocoafair Chocolatier

Leaving Meerendal Wine Estate

Wine barrels and vineyards are characteristic of wine estates

We left not with a box of wine tucked under an arm, but with a bulging bag of chocolates instead. Perhaps our wine tasting is simply postponed until next time. Meerendal may be famous for its wines, but on this particular day, chocolate stole the show.

‘Everything is good if it’s made of chocolate’ – Jo Brand

Meerendal – a wine estate with the best chocolate