Van Loveren Family Vineyards
Not sure what to taste? Take the quiz here and discover
A Retief family farm on the R317, in the Robertson Wine Valley, since 1937. Hennie Retief senior named it for Christina van Loveren, an ancestor of his wife, Jean van Zyl. Three generations on, it is still a family cellar: a garden, a tasting deck, a cellar you can walk through, and Christina’s Bistro in the manor house.
Wine Valley Safari stops here on the Golden Mile.
We book the tasting.
You choose the glass.
In the heart of the Robertson Valley
The farm sits between the Breede River and the Langeberg, on the Klaasvoogds road. The tasting room looks onto the garden. Pods for an informal flight, or a deck for a food-and-wine pairing. Children get a grape-juice pairing. Dogs are welcome on the lawns and on the hiking trail.
Read the family story on Van Loveren’s own page. The farm has held Fairtrade accreditation since 2011, and in 2004 it was the first winery in the Robertson Valley to conclude a land-reform partnership with its employees. More on that is on their sustainability page.
On a Wine Valley Safari
Van Loveren is one of the estates we draw from on the Golden Mile. Your host confirms the stop the day before. Meeting points are 10h00 at Blou Pieke Boutique Hotel, 48 Long Street, Montagu, and 11h00 at Four Cousins, 54 Voortrekker Avenue, Robertson. Four Cousins is the Robertson collection point. The farm itself is the drive out on the R317.
The Classic Golden Mile is three estates from Van Loveren, Ashton, Bon Courage, Viljoensdrift and Excelsior. From R650 a person, tastings included, Monday to Saturday.
The Golden Mile Deluxe puts Van Loveren on the card as an arrival Cap Classique and a pairing tasting. You choose three stops from five. From R895 a person.
The Golden Mile Birds and Wine uses the river and the garden: Viljoensdrift, Van Loveren and Excelsior. Fish eagles on the Breede, sunbirds in the vines.
A private day is on the VIP Voyage. Ask the desk if you want to add the garden or the cellar. Those tours are booked with the farm, and they run on weekdays.
What to taste
Check out our Van Loveren Wine Quiz here.
The informal flight is any four Van Loveren wines. On the deck, the pairings are cheese, chocolate, charcuterie, or nougat and nuts. There is a non-alcoholic pairing for adults and for children.
On a Deluxe stop we open with a glass of their Cap Classique, then the pairing. On a Classic stop it is a straight tasting, and your host will say what is open that morning. Van Loveren’s list is on their shop: sparkling, white, rosé and red.
Book a flight yourself, before or after the safari, on the tasting-room page or the food-and-wine pairing page.
Christina’s Bistro
Christina’s is in the manor house and under the pergola. Thin-crust wood-fired pizza, gourmet burgers, and a seasonal special. Sunday has local music. The kids’ menu is the usual strips and fish fingers.
This is a plateland kitchen. Monday to Friday 09:00–15:00. Saturday, Sunday and public holidays 08:30–15:00. Last orders at 15:00. The pizza oven stays open until 15:30. If lunch is on your safari, eat before the tasting. A table after 15:00 is not a table.
Reserve on christinas@vanloveren.co.za or through the bistro page. The current menu is the Christina’s menu PDF. Functions go to the same address. Catering starts from about R160 a person, and the price moves with the booking.
Garden, cellar and the Fish Eagle trail
The garden tour is self-guided, or guided with a glass of bubbly. Book it on the garden-tour page.
The cellar tour is weekdays, guided, and includes a glass of Cap Classique. Book it on the cellar-tour page. Say so when you book the safari if you want it on the day. It is not part of the standard Golden Mile tasting.
The Fish Eagle trail is 7.5 km on the farm, with more than 100 bird species. Dogs may walk. A permit is R70 a person, from the hiking page or info@vanloveren.co.za. It is a morning on its own, not a gap between tastings.
Hours, and how to find them
Tasting room: Monday to Friday 08:00–17:00. Saturday and public holidays 09:30–16:00. Sunday 11:00–15:00.
Address: R317, Robertson, 6705. Telephone 023 615 1505. Email info@vanloveren.co.za. Everything in one place is on Visit Van Loveren.
Van Loveren also has a tasting room at Overhex on the R60 between Worcester and Robertson, and one at Klipheuwel in Klein Brak. Those are not Golden Mile stops. The safari uses the Robertson farm.
After the tour
If a bottle stayed with you, order it from the Van Loveren shop. If you want the same stop again, or Christina’s held for a birthday, write to info@winevalleysafari.com or call +27 81 740 0145.
