La Vierge Wines — Attraction in Overstrand Local Municipality

Actually googled the hemel en aarde wine valley before my weekend in Hermanus and read up on the estates. The one that caught my eye was La Vierge and their Pinot Noirs, as i really enjoy a Pinotage, Pinot Noir was definitely going to be an experience and a half. So we were assisted by an elderly gentleman i assume was the manager, he was on the ball from the minute we got there. He explained the whole La Vierge concept, touched on the owner as well, and no he's not French 😅. I usually have Savignon Blanc but once i saw their Chardonnay called the Jezabell, i just had to go there and choose it. Then we went to the Pinot Noirs, from the lightest to the darkest. We closed it off with the Bordeaux, and the information dispensed to us by the wine tasting guide was epic. One question: who comes up with the names of the wines? 🤣😂 After a few glasses i was already wondering how i can crack a few jokes around the wine names to the wife (glad i didn't, don't think it would have ended well). We had so much fun wine tasting, just as we were ready to get lunch, the kitchen was closed. The aromas coming out of the kitchen were mouth-watering, definitely coming back to have that lunch. The place is beautiful in a tranquil setting overlooking the valley, the mascot (dog) was a nice touch. The views from the balcony are also...

We visited this restaurant based on the great reviews, but unfortunately, our experience was far from what we expected. We waited an hour and a half for our food, and during that time, empty wine glasses and plates were left on our table without being cleared. Service was severely lacking—we were not attended to properly, and basic condiments were not brought with our meals.

We also ordered a wine tasting to accompany our drinks, but it never arrived despite multiple reminders to the staff. It took two waitstaff and several requests just to get a takeaway box. Throughout our meal, the table remained cluttered with empty glasses and plates, which added to the frustration.

When we inquired about the delays, we received no satisfactory response. Ultimately, we left without ordering dessert or receiving the wine we had initially requested. Unfortunately, due to the poor service, the waiter lost out on a tip. It was an extremely disappointing experience that fell well short of the expectations set by...

We were on holiday in the area a couple of weeks ago and had planned to visit around five of the dog-friendly wine farms along the Hemel and Aarde valley. La Vierge was our second and, ultimately, our last for the day.

When checking to see if it was ok to bring our dog to sit with us on the deck, we were welcomed by Barry and his fantastic team who paid as much attention to our dog as they did to us.

We thoroughly enjoyed the tastings, paired with Barry's fantastic explanations, opinions and reviews on each wine. We ordered the mixed platter which was absolutely delicious, massive in size and negated the need for any other meal for the rest of the day and night. Could easily feed three, or even four if you are after a lighter meal.

We left with full tummies (including our dog who was treated to a free biscuit) and many more bottles of wine than we had planned to buy. Thank you to Barry and the team for a wonderful afternoon. We will be back, and in the meantime we will be drinking a lot...