Carrying the
signature of sought after South African interior designer, Graham Viney, the
stylishly refurbished tasting room is a fusion of European and Cape design.
Taking his
cues from what already existed on the site, Viney has transformed the
former stables and cow byre into light, eclectic spaces featuring a
chic contemporary wine bar.
Fresh design
elements include Cape Georgian cellar doors with their klompie brick
surrounds, spaansriet ceilings and a great cast iron pavilion created
out of the juncture of three verandahs. Arts and Crafts inspired chandeliers
hark back to the stable origins, whilst pale French oak and raffia lamps are
enliven by splashes of vibrant earthy oranges and animal prints interspersed
with miniature washboard surfaced coffee tables.
“The Arts and
Crafts, Victorian and Cape Dutch idioms employed all combine to make a
wonderfully stylish, contemporary venue, with ravishing vineyard and mountain
views falling away to the north towards Kirstenbosch and rising steeply to the
south to the Constantiaberg,” says Viney.
The
refurbishments also reflect the love of art and sensitivity to the estate’s
history by present owners, the Waibel family, whose collection of pottery by
Hymie Rabinowitz, who for years had his studio there, is juxtaposed with rare
vintage African cloths.
The new wine
bar is open for wine tasting and purchases, whilst visitors can enjoy
charcuterie and cheese platters with their wines on wicker chairs and tables on
the wraparound verandah and enclosed Victorian Pavilion overlooking lawned
terraces and the beautiful vineyard surroundings. The new tasting room also
features a dining room for private functions .
Known above
all for their cool climate Sauvignon Blancs and Bordeaux-style reds, Constantia
Glen is one of the jewels of the Constantia Wine Valley, just 20 minutes from
the Cape Town city centre.
Constantia
Glen is open daily from 10h00 till 17h00 on weekdays, from 10h00 till 16h00 on
Saturdays and Sundays, and will be open from 10h00 to14h00 on 24 December and
from 10h00 to 16h00 on the 26th. The tasting room will be closed on
Christmas day and on New Year’s Day. Look out for the Constantia Glen signs
towards the top of Constantia Main road. Call 021
7956100,
e-mail wine@constantiaglen.co.za or visit www.constantiaglen.com for further information. The GPS co-ordinates are S 34º 0’39.6” E
18º 24’30.6”.