Tempel Wines — Attraction in Drakenstein Local Municipality

This is a difficult establishment to review and so here are my thoughts based upon a nightly rate around €170 per night.||Location North of Paarl you are very much in a farming community. Score 7/10|Area Not quite the same as the more famous wine towns of Stellenbosch etc. 6/10|Wine Wine on the estate in first class 9/10|Room We had the wine room charged at a premium price. Overall it was quite basic with perhaps the worst outdoor sitting area of all the rooms. We had problems with water pressure and even when fixed the shower was only just adequate. Score 6/10|Facilities Perhaps the best swimming pool of all ten places we visited in SA. Not sure it’s heated though. Score 9/10|Breakfast Very good. Score 9/10||The owners are lovely people with an interesting background. They come across that they have very clear priorities which are 1. Family 2. Vineyard. 3. Guests. Great if you are family, fine if you run the vineyard but not so good for guests. The main house is right in the centre but it is made very clear that you were not allowed to enter these areas which didn’t make us fully comfortable. Our final day by the swimming pool was spoilt by the owners young son and his friend playing in the swimming pool. That was unacceptable when paying guests were present. ||Many of my comments above can easily be corrected and I hope the owners take on board what I have said. ||Would I stay here again - not at the price point...

Driving to Tempel wines is comparable to a movie scene. You are driving through a sand path with blossoming flowers around you in a complete serene environment. When you arrive there is immediately someone waiting for you to make the check-in as easy as possible. You are not checking in at a hotel, but at a place where you can calm down and relax. As a Belgian I'm picky with my croissants, but the croissants made in the morning were really nice and crunchy. The rest of the breakfast is really nice, so nice even that my girlfriend complained the whole ride home she ate too much of the breakfast ;-) The room is not big, but cosy. Everything that you need is there and even more. Its interior is done with a lot of taste and eye for detail. Bathroom was very modern and clean! It has an aircon that does a great job of keeping the room cool during the hot summer. Now there are alot of great things to say about the wines and the guesthouse, but the experience is made by the hosts. Both Tom & Tatjana are incredibly friendly and open. They are just two very nice normal people that are hosting with a passion. It is so nice to see that there are people still focusing on...

We had an amazing experience at Tempel Wines. The welcome was truly warm and genuine. The place is beautiful, with a wonderful African atmosphere – relaxed, stylish, and inviting. The pool is perfect to enjoy a glass of wine while overlooking the stunning surroundings. The estate’s own wines are excellent and offered with great hospitality. Tom and Tanja are fantastic hosts – always ready with helpful tips about the area and restaurants, and lovely company for a good chat. We visited some larger, super-luxury wine resorts, but it was always a joy to return to Tempel Wines. Dear Tom and Tanja: when we come back to Africa, we’ll...