Wine With A View

As we’ve recently taken up photography as a hobby, our search for new wine farms to visit now includes those that are recommended for their views. Recently, we visited Hidden Valley for a tasting, a nature walk, and some photography practice.

First, The Wine…

Hidden Valley is a very nice, quiet wine farm that feels ‘refined’. Nestled away on the slopes of Helderberg Mountain, the view from up the slope is absolutely beautiful. The Tasting Room is very nice and with the addition of the umbrellas and the misters, it’s comfortable to sit outside even on a day as hot as it was.

We took advantage of their standard tasting along with one of their platters.

The standard pairing (R100 per person) consists of 5 wines:

• 2023 Sauvignon Blanc

• 2022 Hidden Valley Viognier

• 2023 Hidden Treasure Rose

• 2019 Hidden Secret Shiraz Blend

• 2020 Hidden Gem Cabernet Sauvignon Blend

All five were very nice wines. The Sauvignon Blanc is a nice, easy drinking wine that is great for a hot summer day, the Rose, with it’s strawberry and grapefruit notes, is also great for a hot day. Viognier is quickly becoming one of our favorite cultivars, and the light oaking of this wine gave it a nice body without the ‘vanilla’ overwhelming everything.

My favorite, though, was the Shiraz blend. Man, I love a good Shiraz. Most red blends you find are Cab heavy Bordeaux type. To find a Shiraz blend was indeed a ‘Hidden Secret’. Although a little young, it drank easily without the strong tannin-y feel that most Cab red blends have. The fruit on the nose and the palate were unmistakable, and remarkably well balanced.

Then A Walk In The Woods

Across from the tasting room is The Deck restaurant and Hidden Valley’s Nature Trail. It’s a short walk around the dam, underneath a canopied path.

Although we didn’t see any of the Caracals or bucks that make their homes nearby, having a short hike was a nice addition to a beautiful day. The sculpture at the trail entrance is something to see, and with all the flowers in bloom, the colors really are stunning.

The Details

Hidden Valley can be found up the Annandale Road in Stellenbosch. They’re open from 9am-6pm, 7 days a week. We didn’t book for our wine tasting, but I can’t guarantee you can just drop in, especially on a weekend.

5/5 - Highly recommended

Tel: +27 021 007 3477
Book a tasting: winetasting@hiddenvalleywines.co.za