Rich in history and scandalous stories can be found at this wine farm, making it not only it a fun wine tasting experience but also one with true depth in its story.
Placed in Stellenbosch, Muratie vineyard seems very much like most vineyards with huge lush trees, green grass and huge buildings, however this all changes when you see the wine sales sign in a small and dull building under a huge oak tree, giving the impression of a very raw and untouched establishment. Once you’re inside you may be shocked, or inquisitive, being full of cobwebs you really get a sense of old antique spilling over you.
The vineyard grows its own grapes, still picking them by hand, keeping the traditional ways and allowing quality right from the beginning. They use ducks and geese as their pesticide control mechanism, keeping the vineyards environmentally friendly and avoiding harsh pesticide sprays. The farm is very welcoming and very open to visitors visiting the farm and building. History surrounds this farm and it’s hard to not feel the years that have gone by, starting in 1685 and owned by many farm owners it was first known as Muratie in 1897 and officially known as Muratie since 1909.
The wine selection is very diverse, with red wines, white wines, cape ruby and white ports. We did the premium tasting, with a unanimous agreement on our favourite, Amber forever, a very smooth white port with a nice mix of flavours and a good story behind it. The scandalise story about this vineyard is one owner had an affair with a woman, however this was really embraced and put out there. The white port is named after this mysterious woman no one knows anything about. The name came from a novel called Amber forever, set in 17th century with an orphaned lady called Amber St Clare, she rose up in life by sleeping her way up the ranks of men with authority and keeping them happy, it was only fit to call this amber coloured and fruity bodied white port after her. The label is a painting of the mistress painted by the owner of the farm, there were many paintings of her found but this one was chosen as she is shown wearing clothes. The other painting have been hung up around the farm.
There is a farm kitchen to visit with delicious food, accommodation is also available with many different activities to do including mountain biking trails, walks, runs, art galleries and many more, however you need to keep an eye out as the timetable for these is forever changing, you can find this information on their website.
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