A recent trend has South African wine farms converting themselves into gourmet pizza parlours across the country.
The wine farms have found a new way to utilize their resources by harvesting fresh, home-grown ingredients to craft mouth-watering pizzas that can be enjoyed right there on the estate. Round up the family and friends and enjoy a selection of pizzas at the following wineries.
Eikendal
Stellenbosch Estate, Eikendal, offers a sizzling Pizza & Wine Pairing experience that caters for lip-smacking action in its tasting room. Visitors can to tuck into a trio of bite-size pizzas, each masterfully paired with a matching estate wine. Freshly prepared by the resident Cucina di Giovanni restaurant, the menu caters for everyone and pizza options include Chicken & Pineapple, Ham & Mushroom, Brie & Cranberry, Peppers & Pineapple and Mushroom & Olives.
Pizza Cucina di Giovanni Restaurant
Opening hours and cost
The Eikendal Pizza & Wine Pairings are on offer from Tuesdays to Sundays, between 12h00 and 16h00 and cost R40 per person, whilst the kids’ juice tasting costs R20 per child. Pre-bookings for the pairings are essential as daily orders are limited. Also note that there is a 20 minute waiting period as the pizzas are freshly prepared. Cucina di Giovanni @ Eikendal is open for lunch and dinner from Tuesdays to Saturdays and for lunch only on Sundays.
Mulderbosch
To compliment the estate’s extraordinary range of wines, Mulderbosch serves a selection of thin-based wood-fired pizzas, with a variety of delicious fresh toppings, from their outdoor pizza oven. There are loads of vegetarian toppings on offer as well as out of the ordinary combinations like Oxtail with roasted butternut.
Pizza Pairing at Mulderbosch
Opening hours and cost
The pizzas are available from 12h00 to 16h00 on Tuesdays through to Sundays. Pizza & Wine pairings are available only on request and pre-booking. Expect to pay R95 per person for the pairing experience.
Brenaissance
Café Blanc De Noir at Brenaissance is the perfect place to sit back, relax and enjoy the Stellenbosch estate’s wine or a Stellenbrau craft beer with a thin based rustic wood-oven pizza. With an emphasis on local produce, the menu focuses on simple, fresh and flavoursome food. Hosting a party? The Brenaissance team will do their best to accommodate your celebration so keep them in mind for your next hen party, baby shower, kitchen tea or birthday celebration.
Pizza at Café Blanc De Noir
Opening hours and cost
The restaurant is open on Wednesday – Friday 11:00 – 21:30 Saturday 11:00 – 21:30 Sunday & Public Holidays 11:00 – 17:00. The kitchen takes last orders one hour before closing time. The also offer an interactive Pizza & Wine pairing experience. The Full House Pizza paired with four Brenaissance wines costs R170 per person.
Under Oaks
This thriving pizzeria, under the ownership of Marcelo Bassi, boasts true Italian hospitality in the heart of the Paarl Winelands. Both the pizzas and pastas are made to perfection in a traditional wood-fired pizza oven. Housed in the authentic old wine cellar and under majestic oak trees it is the perfect place to while away the day as you watch peaceful farm animals meander by. Apart from the normal thin-based pizzas, they also offer gluten-free and Banting base pizzas. The pizzeria is child friendly and also the perfect venue to host an intimate function.
Pizza at Under Oaks Winery
Opening hours and cost
The pizzeria at Under Oaks is open from Tuesdays to Saturdays from 11.30 am – 8.30 pm. Expect to pay between R50 – R85 for a small and between R65 – R105 for a large.
The Millhouse Kitchen at Lourensford
Chef Bjorn Guido’s aim is to create a neighbourhood feel where his guests can relax and enjoy each other’s company in the beautiful setting of the Lourensford Wine Estate. The menu is inspired by the French and Italians famous for their fantastic rustic dishes. Fresh pasta, bread and wood fired pizzas are prepared daily and a “light bites” menu is available for those in between hours.
Pizza at The Millhouse Kitchen
Opening hours and cost
The Millhouse Kitchen is open from Tuesdays to Sundays. Lunch is served from 12h00 – 15h00 and dinner from 18h30 – 22h00. On Sundays the kitchen closes for food orders at 15h00. Expect to pay between R80 and R100 for a pizza.
Highlands Road
This small family run winery in the heart of the Elgin Valley offers a variety of wood-fired pizzas, all topped with their secret home-made tomato-base and grated mozzarella cheese. After choosing your basic pizza, topped with your choice of meat, you can sit back and relax under the willow trees next to the tranquil dam.
Pizza at Highlands Road
Opening hours and cost
The café at Highlands Road is open from 11am -4pm from Wednesday to Sunday. Expect to pay around R85 for a pizza.
Remhoogte
Remhoogte Wine Estate outside Stellenbosch offers 3 mouth-watering pizzas at their Wild Beast Brewery, also located on the farm. Offerings include the Winemakers Choice with cream cheese, caramalised onion, toasted sesame seeds, camembert and rocket; the Wild Beast –with tomato base, biltong, feta, avocado, rocket and balsamic reduction; and the Sir Thomas with cream cheese, feta, smoked chicken, basil, avocado and balsamic reduction. Don’t forget to grab a cold one from their range of beers, which include a Blonde Ale, Amber Ale and a Stout.
Opening hours and cost
Monday – Friday from 9:00-17:00 and Saturday 10:00 – 16:00. Expect to pay R80 for a pizza.
Do you know of a winery in South Africa that specialises in pizza? Drop us a mail at [email protected] and we’ll happily add them to the list.
