After reading countless reviews we headed out to Louisvale Wines, this beautiful estate is located in the heart of Devon Valley, Stellenbosch. The striking building was designed by award-winning architect, Christof Albertyn and represents the fusion of African and European building aesthetics.  I marvel at how the architect incorporated elements of Khoekhoen (who built the first man-made domed structure in the area).

When you log on to the Black Elephant Vintners (BEV) website, one of the first things you see on the landing page is a line that reads "A Robben Island native, an ex-stockbroker and an elephant walk into a bar ..." And you know immediately this is not your run-of-the-mill wine estate operating from a 17th century Cape Dutch-styled farm. Indeed, the three blokes behind BEV - Kevin Swart (the Black), Raymond Ndlovu (the Elephant) and Jacques Wentzel (the Vintner) describe themselves as "Rebels of the vine whose mission it is to bring truth to the wine industry and create experiences that turn convention on its head."

Summer in the winelands are spectacularly seductive surrounded by lush vineyards, picture-perfect scenery as well as world-class wines and great cuisine. The warm hospitality at the tasting room of Wellington Wines in the Bovlei building offers visitors to this quaint Boland town a signature welcome.  Even younger visitors are catered for with a specially adapted tasting.  Bring along your own picnic basket or order a platter from the Bains Cafรฉ coffee shop.

Uncanny Wines are South Africaโ€™s very first certified wines packaged in cans. These premium quality wines in a beautifully designed 250ml package are the proudly South African response to the skyrocketing international trend of canned wine. โ€œWeโ€™ve combined South Africaโ€™s established winemaking traditions with brilliant innovation and great design to create an exclusive, premium quality wine offering in environmentally friendly packaging,โ€ explains Arnold Vlok, co-owner of Uncanny.

Just off Voor Paardeberg Road in the distance we found a beautiful white chapel that leads to a picturesque scene: the ever-changing leaves of the vineyards.  The tasting room is cosy with a rustic appearance and classic country charm. Greeted by the sounds of a crackling fire, a glass of wine and inviting laughter, immediately made it feel like home. [caption id="attachment_19172" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The Wedding Chapel at Vondeling Wines[/caption]