50 for 50: Stellenzicht and the Wine Pod
The view from the Wine Pod
What is a more perfect way to spend a (pre) Valentine’s Day than at one of the Western Cape’s gorgeous wine farms?
Hint - There really isn’t one.
Continuing the 50 for 50 ‘challenge’, this weekend we took advantage of Stellenzicht’s Valentine’s Tartlet pairing hosted in the Wine Pod.
The Wine Pod
This is not your grandparent’s tasting room. The Wine Pod is an eco-friendly tasting area views of the Stellenbosch and Helderberg mountains.
The Wine Pod
If you think it looks nice from this angle, you should see the views!
When you visit most tasting rooms, the atmosphere is reserved and a little serious.
Not so in the Pod.
The Wine Pod is designed for people to be social, to enjoy the experience with friends and family, and to share a laugh or two over some amazing pizza perfectly paired with one of their wines.
It was very social and a bit more ‘rambunctious’ than any other tasting room. But don’t let the casual atmosphere fool you, they really bring it when it comes to their food and wine.
Tartlet and Wine Pairing
Now, if you didn’t take advantage of this one day special, then sorry for you, you missed out on one of the best pairings I’ve experienced since moving to South Africa.
It was:
Strawberry milkshake tartlet with the 2021 Thunderstone Rose
Lemon Merengue tartlet with the 2020 Acheulean Chardonnay
Dried fruit and date tartlet with the 2018 Thunderstone Red (40% Cinsault, 30% Shiraz, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon)
Dark chocolate tartlet with the 2018 Arenite Syrah
All four of the pairings were absolutely exquisite.
The Rose has very little acidity and notes of strawberry and cream on the finish.
The chardonnay is lightly wooded and just an amazingly well balanced wine.
The Thunderstone Red and the Syrah were both incredible. Deep, rich, without being too heavy or with strong tannins. The Red blend is a nice, every day red that could be served chilled, and the Syrah was bold without being too bold, with some blackberry and pepper on the back end.
Tartlet and Wine
Shut up and take my money!
Stellenzicht has 8 wines in their stable, and you know after the first four, we had to see what the rest were like.
Every single one of them was right on point. From the 2019 Silcrete Cinsault (a fruity, rich, smooth red) to their ‘entry level’ 2020 Chardonnay (lightly wooded, more fruit forward than the Archulean, and reminiscent of a Chenin), every varietal and vintage hits all the right notes.
The staff at Stellenzicht is amazing. You can tell they take their customer’s experience very seriously. They’re warm, open, and attentive without being overly so. Our wine guide Pulane was an absolute delight. She was knowledgeable, friendly, and shared all sorts of stories about the farm, the pod, and even how their logo came to be.
Did Someone Say Pizza?
What’s wine without food? After the pairing and the additional tasting, we stayed for lunch and sampled some of their pizzas.
I ordered the Spanish Sausage (chorizo, goat’s cheese, and onion marmalade) and Kim ordered the Smoked Chicken (smoked chicken, mozzarella, avacado, and basil pesto).
Pizza anyone?
Now they’re just bragging…
I have no words for how delicious both pizzas were.
I’m still drooling over the pizza and I’m so happy I have a couple pieces left in the fridge! Both of us agree that this will become one of our favorite pizza places around town.
Wine Haul
Ok, so this was a bit of a big haul…but well worth it.
Case (6) of 2021 Thunderstone Rose (R105 ea)
Case (6) of the 2020 Thunderstone Chardonnay (R105 ea)
Case (6) of the 2018 Thunderstone Red (R165 ea)
Visit The Wine Pod at Stellenzicht
The experience at the Wine Pod is definitely a 10/10 and I highly recommend it.
Tel: +27 (0)21 569 0362 | Email: winepod@stellenzicht.com
Monday & Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday to Friday: 10:00 – 18:00
Saturday & Sunday: 09:00 – 17:00
There are three tasting options:
Four wines from the Thunderstone and Varietal Range for R60 per person
Archulean Chardonnay and Archulean Red for R60 per person
All 8 wines for R120 per person
I recommend the 8 wine tasting. It’s a fantastic price for some amazing wines.
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