Growing to love trying new varietals rather than ordering the same old double-and-mix as an after-work drink, and exploring beyond our go-to bottles with dinner. If you don’t have your own local favourite just yet, perhaps you’d like to take a look at our wine list?
Flor Wine Bar
As is appropriate for a wine bar adjoining an authentic Neapolitan pizza place, Flor focuses on Italian wines, which you can browse by varietal and region. The fresh, blue and white decor combines with the food and wine on offer to get you in the mood for exploration and provide a holiday atmosphere, so go ahead and clear your evening, order a pizza from Coalition to enjoy during your tour of Italian wines, or make a stop here before heading next door to enjoy a Mediterranean feast.
Plaisir Wine and Gin Lounge
The urban wine scene is thriving in Stellenbosch, and the only surprise is that it’s taken this long: combine the good looks of this walkable centre with its proximity to some of the best vineyards in the world, and it’s a no-brainer to bring excellent wine selections to the city streets. Plaisir de Merle has done just this with their Plaisir Wine and Gin Lounge, which affords excellent people-watching views, an innovative menu, a handsome interior, and a spot in the midst of some of the country’s best restaurants – should you need a pre- or post-dinner spot that measures up to their offerings.
Culture Wine Bar
In the brightly painted building that it shares with sister establishments Grub & Vine and The Blue Room, this spacious yet cosy wine bar makes an ideal stop to end off an evening on Bree Street. Come for the so-Instagrammable-it-hurts decor, stay for the event lineup that lets this wine bar live up to its name: from free tastings to delightfully niche, industry-specific gatherings, there’s something on the calendar for everyone who’s interested in the community and culture of the wine world.
Try these next
Publik
One of the OGs of the wine bar renaissance, and aging like a fine– well, you get it.
Leo’s
Bagel shop by day, wine bar by night, with a focus on natural and minimal intervention wines.
Penny Noire
Sommelier Penny Seeti’s wine bar in the collaborative culinary haven of Heritage Square.
Tamboerswinkel
Groceries, baked goods and great coffee are all yours for the taking alongside a small, excellent wine selection.
Open Wine
A cool, laidback spot for wine shopping, leisurely sipping and watching the world go by.
Cultivate
The physical space for Cultivate Collective’s ambitious mission to amplify black and brown talent in the wine industry.
Mr Pants
The smallest wine bar in SA is this charming Joburg spot, named after a handsome ginger rescue cat.
Words by Cayleigh Bright
