Lourensford Wine Estate + Artjamming / Somerset West

Lourensford has so many family-friendly and unusual activities to offer that it is really a great experience and a Must-Visit on your list of wine farms. You probably need to come back a couple of times to experience it all, but let’s start with the family fun first: the weekly market.

Lourensford Market

If you enjoy live music, good food, handcrafted & artisanal products and a vibrant atmosphere, you will love this market. Lourensford Harvest Market is usually on every Sunday from September to June (10:00 – 15:00). Now they even opened up in winter and you can sit down and relax in the market area on Friday from 17:00 – 21:00 and on Saturday from 10:00 – 15:00.

It’s housed in a permanent structure with 70 fixed stalls and various pop-ups making your weekend as pleasant as possible. Dogs are also welcome to join you at the market and can help themselves at the designated doggie bar. The humans can enjoy Lourensford Wine and the estate’s in-house ABRU craft beer.

Kids can run around, get some sweet treats or even toys and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere together with the parents.

Vinfari

What is better than a glass of wine combined with a mini safari? At Lourensford they offer so called Vinfaris where you can enjoy the beautiful Estate and a bit of winemaking history in their specific Vinfari vehicles.

From September to March, the 2-3 hour guided tour starts at the cellar door and you have a choice between the daytime or sunset safari. Unfortunately, the vinfaris are not available in winter, so make sure to have that on your list of things to do in the summer months. Advanced bookings are essential to secure your spot on the vehicle.

Cost: R650 per person (maximum of 8 guests per tour)
For bookings you can contact jacop@lourensford.co.za

Unique Wine Tasting Experiences

As a Wine Estate, they do make their own wine which you can taste at their tasting room. But at Lourensford, they came up with some incredible and exciting wine pairing options that you should definitely try out when you get a chance! The kids are more than welcome to join you. They can do a yummy juice tasting paired with cookies and chocolate. The below options are more suitable for the grown-ups:

Premium Wine Tasting with 4 wines of the Limited Release Range = R90 per person
Wedgewood Nougat and Wine Pairing = R130 per person
Belgian Chocolate and Wine Pairing = R130 per person
Blind Wine Tasting Challenge where you’ll be poured 4 wines and if the group identifies them correctly, the tasting will be for FREE (otherwise R90 per person)
Turkish Delight Pairing = R130 per person
Soup and Wine Pairing = R150 per person
Packaged Deal with a premium tasting of 4 wines, followed by a cellar tour, then a choice of Belgian Chocolate OR Turkish Delight Pairing and lastly a vodka shot, locally distilled at Lourensford = R175 per person

Checkout the detailed range of wine tastings and pairing here: WINE TASTING

Vodka Tasting

Not only do they produce excellent wine and beer, they also make vodka! And if you’re keen, you can book yourself in for a vodka tasting. Try some interesting flavours at R130 per tasting.

Art Gallery

Listen up art lovers! Come to the Art Curator and browse through the large selection of South African Old Masters, Contemporary and African Art. The staff at the studio will be able to assist you with Decor advice, Framing, Valuations, Restorations, as well as Block mounting. They also arrange commissions of Paintings, Bronzes and Statues for homes and offices.

Take home a beautiful piece of art and a long-term memory of your visit. The Art Curator is open Monday to Friday 09:00 – 17:00 and weekends from 10:00 – 15:30.

Millhouse Kitchen

Of course you’ll also find an exquisite restaurant on the Estate where you can either have your breakfast, lunch or dinner. It is an Italian inspired eatery where you can enjoy fresh meals and a glass of wine overlooking the beautiful estate. The kids can have some fun in the large, green garden where especially the little ones will enjoy the three natural wood jungle gyms.

You can directly make an online booking via Dineplan or check the Lourensford Website for opening times and bookings: MILLHOUSE KITCHEN

You can find the menu on the Millhouse Kitchen Facebook Page: MENU

Artjamming

Artjamming is already part of our previous experiences and you can either do it at the V&A Waterfront or at the Lourensford Wine Estate in Somerset West. The concept is the same everywhere and if you’d like to find out more about what Artjamming entails, you can check it out here: MORE ABOUT ARTJAMMING

The studio at Lourensford is closed on a Monday, but open from Tuesday to Saturday 09:00 – 17:00. On Sunday, you or your kids can become creative from 10:00 – 15:00.

Our Experience

We love to go to the market on a Sunday. It’s a super relaxed atmosphere in a shaded area where local bands are playing, you’ll have a choice of different food and the kids can run around and enjoy themselves on the Estate while we are soaking in the good vibes and wine.

The Estate has so many activities on offer, that it won’t get boring and we definitely come back over and over again for some very unique wine pairing options and the Vinfari. The only downside is, that there is no playground near the market. You’ll find the jungle gyms in the garden of the restaurant, but other than that the kids have to be satisfied with the things nature has to offer.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️