Spier Wine Farm
Winery Description
Location and History
What does over 330 years of winemaking heritage taste like? Discover it by sampling Spier’s award-winning vintages at the lakeside Tasting Room. After enjoying the breathtaking views of the Helderberg mountains, indulge in lunch—whether it’s a picnic under the oaks, a feast of slow-roasted meats and vegetables at Vadas Smokehouse & Bakery, fresh salads and sandwiches from the Picnickery, or classic dishes at the Spier Hotel Restaurant. No matter your choice, your tastebuds will be delighted.
The farm is a playground for all ages. Children can explore the Elemental Play Garden or climb on the Werf’s granite boulders, while the entire family can wander through the pastures and vineyards on foot, bike, or Segway. Art is everywhere at Spier. From soaring sculptures to contemporary canvases, the farm showcases works by emerging talents and renowned South African artists.
For those not ready to leave, Spier has you covered. After a rejuvenating spa treatment, unwind at the Spier Hotel, which offers cosy country-style accommodation, swimming pools for summer, and roaring fires for winter.
Wine Tasting
Spier’s award-winning wines are paired with innovative food at the Tasting Room, located on the banks of the Spier dam with stunning views of the Helderberg Mountains. Wines are available for purchase at cellar door prices. The Tasting Room also offers wine-related products, locally-made homeware, gifts, and books. Tastings include the Spier Tasting, Chocolate and Wine Tasting, and the Winemaker Selection. A Children’s Grape Juice Tasting offers two different grape juices and an educational activity sheet. Food platters are available for purchase.
Restaurant
Spier Picnics:
Enjoy farm-inspired picnics that change with the seasons, using ingredients sourced from Spier’s own farm and trusted local producers. Baskets can be ordered online 24 hours in advance and collected between 12:00 and 14:00 from the Picnickery. Plant-based options are available. Choose your picnic spot—by the dam or under the oaks. While picnic spaces are public, group bookings can be made in semi-private areas with advance notice.
Vadas Smokehouse & Bakery
Vadas Smokehouse & Bakery specialises in ethically and locally sourced ingredients, focusing on cooking with fire and smoke. The menu includes pasture-reared meats, smoked low and slow, as well as organic vegetarian options. The bakery offers fresh sourdough breads and seasonal fruit pies and pastries. The restaurant overlooks the Werf’s rolling lawns and ancient oaks, making it an ideal spot for families. The kitchen is open daily, with varying hours—contact for details.
Accommodation
The reimagined Spier Hotel in Stellenbosch will reopen in 2025. The 80-room Fair Trade-accredited hotel will feature a world-class Wellness Spa, an expanded pool and bar, a rooftop bar, and a new restaurant focusing on iconic South African cuisine, responsibly sourced. Exclusive guided immersive experiences and a nature-inspired kids’ offering will be available. The hotel is just 30 minutes from Cape Town International Airport.
Tours and Activities
Spier offers a variety of experiences for the whole family. Begin with tasting award-winning wines at the lakeside Tasting Room, followed by a meal inspired by farm-fresh ingredients at one of the farm’s restaurants, or enjoy a picnic on the sun-dappled Werf. The Elemental Play Garden will enchant children, while the entire family can explore the pastures and vineyards on foot, bike, or Segway. Art lovers can encounter an array of sculptures and textured canvases throughout the farm. After a relaxing treatment at the Spier Spa, settle in at the hotel, where cosy country-style accommodations await, complete with swimming pools for summer and fires for winter.
The Elemental Play Garden
Located near the Spier Farm Café and Vadas Smokehouse & Bakery, the Elemental Play Garden was designed by landscape architect Ed Brooks and local landscape architect Danielle Croly, featuring primarily indigenous plants. The garden is divided into four quadrants representing water, air, fire, and earth, all intersected by a spiralling waterway symbolising the Fibonacci Sequence. The garden includes a slide, a tunnel, a Charl Conradie wind sculpture, and a swing bridge. The water area is safe for children to splash in, making it perfect for hot summer days. The garden is open daily until sunset, with complimentary entry.
VoiceMap Audio Walks
Spier offers two audio tours available on the VoiceMap app. The Gables tour takes you through Spier’s historic farmyard, offering a fictionalised account of life on a Stellenbosch wine farm 200 years ago, narrated by a character based on a historical figure. The hour long Walk the Spier Farm tour introduces you to Spier’s art, wines, hospitality, and sustainability efforts.
Visit the Spier vineyards on a Segway PT (Personal Transporter), a two-wheeled, self-balancing electric vehicle, while learning about Spier’s ethical farming practices and environmental initiatives.
Eminent landscape architect Patrick Watson and horticulturalist Wilton Sikhosana helped establish the River Walk. Situated on the South bank of the Eerste River, this walk offers an opportunity to explore the large variety indigenous plants growing on the farm.
Art is as much part of Spier as good food and fine wine. Spier believes that the visual arts are a powerful tool for transformation – sparking new insights and inspiring us to engage with our world in new and imaginative ways. Spier supports and stimulates the arts community in South Africa through projects that honour our African arts heritage and enriches its future.
Sculptures and artworks from the Spier Art Collection – one of the largest contemporary art collections in the country – can be found throughout the farm. Works are rotated every year to give exposure to as many artists as possible, and to keep the spaces fresh for staff and visitors. The art chosen for display aims to show the richness and diversity of the SA experience and artistic talent.
The Spier Craft Market, located near the Tasting Room, features eight custom-designed units showcasing wire and beadwork, 3D paintings, mosaics, jewellery, textiles, ceramics, and woodcarving. Many of the artists work on-site and are happy to answer questions and share their processes.
