New winery opens its doors in Riversdale

Holidaymakers travelling from Cape Town towards the Garden Route over the festive season will be happy to hear that Baleia Bay Winery has opened its doors on the N2, just outside the small town of Riversdale.

The Joubert family – which includes owner Jan-Hendrik Joubert’s parents, and his sister  Lizeth – has lived and farmed on Dassieklip for many years. Following careful consideration, the they decided to plant Baleia Bay’s first block of Pinot Noir, Shiraz and Tempranillo in 2009. Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay soon followed suit.

Following their inaugural harvest in 2011, a brand name was needed for their wines. They suitably came up with Baleia Bay, inspired by the Portuguese word for whale (baleia) and directly related to Dassieklip’s proximity to St. Sebastian Bay, affectionately referred to as “South Africa’s whale nursery” due to the record number of Southern Right whales that migrate here annually.

Visitors to Baleia Bay will find that everything about the place is first class. The sunlit tasting room offers a chic environment to taste the estate’s award-winning wines. Current vintages up for tasting include the 2013 Chardonnay, 2012 Pinot Noir, 2013 Sauvignon Blanc, 2013 Unwooded Chardonnay and the 2014 Baleia Bay Rosè.

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If wine is not your thing you can still pop in for a taste of Baleia Bay’s home-grown olives and Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which has won a silver medal at the 2013 SA Olive Awards.

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In the mood for some food? LaBella Restaurant & Deli, situated next to the tasting room, offers delicious homemade meals, freshly baked products and curio section filled with crafts and gifts.

Conveniently located next to the N2, Baleia Bay is open to the public Monday to Friday (09:00 – 17:00) and Saturday and Public Holidays (10:00 – 13:00).

LaBella Restaurant & Deli is open Monday to Friday (08:00 – 17:00), Saturday (08:00 – 15:00) and Sunday (08:00 – 16:00).