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Turophiles, towers and truckles
Best Winelands cheese venues
A goat peeks out of Fairview's famous tower
© Fairview Wine Estate. All Rights Reserved.
Did you know?
Fairview has recently been awarded as the first Carbon Neutral Cheesery on the African continent.
One of the Cape’s most popular and best winelands cheese venues is Fairview Winery in Paarl. Fairview has over 13 different Jersey and goat’s milk cheeses to try and buy. Taste their cheese with wine, on its own, or as a platter in the estate’s Goatshed restaurant. Don’t leave without their flagship Camembert Roydon Camembert.
At Anura Vineyards, cheese maker Ulrike Christensen of Forest Hill Cheese produces French style, soft-rind cheeses. Try the irresistible Brie and Camembert, Anura Marisch – a mozzarella/edam blend and the Anura Mountain Cheese; a well- matured Swiss style cheese, with a rich, nutty flavour. Enjoy them all on the estate’s cheese platter.
Zevenwacht Wine Estate is 1 of the best cheese venues in the winelands, known for their knock-out, all natural Farmhouse Cheddar. Recently, Zewenwacht joined forces with Italian cheese producers Puglia Cheese, adding authentic mozzarella to their repertoire. Also available are Burrata, Fior di Latte, and a semi-matured caciotta cheese called Primo Fiore.
Healy’s Farmhouse Cheddar is a handmade unpasteurised cheddar cheese. Made from meadow-grazed Friesian milk and cave-aged from 8 to 24 months, it’s been voted in the world’s top 4 cheddars since its inception in 2005. Enjoy this multi award-winning treat at Waterkloof Estate on the outskirts of the Helderberg in Stellenbosch.
Another popular winelands cheese venue, Klein River Cheese outside Stanford makes 12 varieties of award-winning cheeses. Known for their outstanding Gruyere, cheeses can be tasted and purchased all year round or enjoy a picnic on the farm from November to May.
Look out for the products of Dalewood Fromage - unfortunately not open to the public. Their handmade, mature semi-hard estate cheese, Huguenot, continues to win gold medals at the World Cheese Awards, and local foodies drool over their brie, available in blue-veined or with green fig, chilli, porcini or crushed olive. Dalewood Lanquedoc is their latest creation – a semi-soft washed rind with a smooth, supple and creamy texture.
Travel tips & Planning info
Who to contact
Healy's Cheese @ Waterkloof Wines
Waterkloof, Sir Lowry’s Pass Road
Somerset West
Open Tues-Sun 9am-5pm
Annual closure: 3 June - 3 July
Tel: +27 (0)21 858 1292
Fairview Vineyard Cheesery
Suid-Agter Paarl Road
Suider-Paarl
Open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
Tel: +27 (0)21 863 2450
Forest Hill Cheese @ Anura
Simondium Road, off the R44
Klapmuts
Open Mon-Sun 9am-5pm
Tel: +27 (0)21 875 5360
Zevenwacht
Open Mon-Sun 9am-5pm
Tel: +27 (0)21 903 5123/4
Email: info@zevenwacht.co.za
Klein River Cheese
Off the R326, Stanford.
Phone: +27(0)28 341 0693
How to get here
All the cheeseries that are open to the public are are easily accessible by tarred roads.
What will it cost
The cost of a cheese tasting varies from R30 to R50 p/person. Expect to pay between R60 - R80 for a cheese platter. Cheese tastings at Fairview, Anura, and Zevenwacht can also include wine.
What to eat
Besides delicious cheese, a number of these establishments sell gourmet deli products made on the estate, or sourced from local suppliers.
What's happening
The SA Cheese Festival, the largest cheese festival in Africa, takes place in April.