Mellasat Vineyards
Mellasat Vineyards
4.5
About
At Mellasat Vineyards we reckon we’re a bit different from the usual tasting facilities which you are used to. We have something for everyone from wine connoisseurs to the casual, everyday wine drinker. Our selection of wines varies from red wines for those cold winter days, white wines for something lighter, a moorish dessert wine as well as a delicate rosé…….. and then the most unique of them all - a White Pinotage, which is only made by us.Our tasting room has stunning views of the Paarl valley and the craggy Klein Drakenstein Mountains. We also do private functions, dinning and wine & food paring events.
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4.5
75 reviews
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18
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Christo M
Paarl, South Africa202 contributions
May 2019 • Couples
Have met the winmaker, Gisela, and can really recommend het "white" pinotage. They also make a Rose Chiraz that is a perfect social gathering wine - fruity and delicious. The setting is faitly small but a table under the trees with some wine and a cheese board can bring peace and happiness.
Written 8 May 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Eddie G
Cape Town Central, South Africa140 contributions
Oct 2017 • Couples
Interesting vertical tasting of 4 white Pinotage from different years paired with different snacks. The setting is very good the staff are polite attentive and very helpful. The wines are excellent and they did not mind explaining the processes involved which made the whole experience well worthwhile. Wines are mostly in the 90 to R 140 range the quality cant be faulted even picked up a case of 6 unlabeled wines for just R 150 or R 25 a bottle (about US$ 2) a absolute bargain. Highly recommended I will be back soon.
Written 17 October 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lloyd Loots
Pretoria, South Africa224 contributions
May 2018 • Friends
Mellasat Vineyards - Home of the White Pinotage. Yes, you read that correctly. A White Pinotage. The very 1st White Pinotage in the World to be more exact.
Only established back in 1996 on the original Dekkersvlei farm near Paarl, just under the Klein Drakenstein mountains. Mellasat Vineyards enjoys a beautiful panoramic view of the Paarl & those granite domes.
One thing that I need to mention is that this is most definitely a boutique style wine estate. So they have a small range of wine. But this small range is of the highest quality. Entering the market with the more easy drinking Dekker's Valley range or for those more specific palates, the Premium Mellasat range, they have something for everyone.
So lets go back to this famous White Pinotage. The very first vintage, was back in 2007. As they say; "The paradox of this wine is that the eye belies the other senses." And rightfully so. What looks a fresh crisp white wine, is actually a beautiful full bodied red wine. Making a white wine from red grapes, using South Africa's very own Pinotage varietal. By making use of whole bunch pressing, this prevents the juices from obtaining any colour from the skins. Being barrel fermented & matured for 11 months, gives the White Pinotage has a subtle banana flavour coming through, but is balanced out nicely with a more creamy & nutty finish.
Another wine that you may never have even heard of before is on offer in very limited quantities. Tempranillo is definitely a lesser known varietal, but one that should not be taken lightly. This red wine is slightly more savoury in character & can you just imagine what being matured in French Oak barrels for 18 months does to it? A fresh cigar box aroma on the nose, that is followed by dark ripe cherries & black fruits which follow through on the palate. (I'm keeping a bottle of this hidden for a few more years. I think it's going to get a whole lot better with some more age.)
Here I had a private tour of the cellar, by the winemaker herself who you can see absolutely loves what she does.
A first for me was getting to do a tasting straight out of the barrel of a few of the wines that are currently being matured. So exciting! I mean, here I am, drinking wine, with the winemaker, straight out of the barrels in the cellar. More of an unique experience I definitely could not ask for on this trip.
What was interesting is that you could pick up on how the flavours of the wines develop over time & with the maturation. The one year was so fruity & all I could taste was a whole lot of guava, then the very next year, the fruitiness had become so subtle & the wine started smoothing out nicely.
I think it's best you head out to #DiscoverPaarl & plan your visit to Mellasat Vineyards soon. You definitely won't be disappointed.
#WineRoutingWithLloyd
Only established back in 1996 on the original Dekkersvlei farm near Paarl, just under the Klein Drakenstein mountains. Mellasat Vineyards enjoys a beautiful panoramic view of the Paarl & those granite domes.
One thing that I need to mention is that this is most definitely a boutique style wine estate. So they have a small range of wine. But this small range is of the highest quality. Entering the market with the more easy drinking Dekker's Valley range or for those more specific palates, the Premium Mellasat range, they have something for everyone.
So lets go back to this famous White Pinotage. The very first vintage, was back in 2007. As they say; "The paradox of this wine is that the eye belies the other senses." And rightfully so. What looks a fresh crisp white wine, is actually a beautiful full bodied red wine. Making a white wine from red grapes, using South Africa's very own Pinotage varietal. By making use of whole bunch pressing, this prevents the juices from obtaining any colour from the skins. Being barrel fermented & matured for 11 months, gives the White Pinotage has a subtle banana flavour coming through, but is balanced out nicely with a more creamy & nutty finish.
Another wine that you may never have even heard of before is on offer in very limited quantities. Tempranillo is definitely a lesser known varietal, but one that should not be taken lightly. This red wine is slightly more savoury in character & can you just imagine what being matured in French Oak barrels for 18 months does to it? A fresh cigar box aroma on the nose, that is followed by dark ripe cherries & black fruits which follow through on the palate. (I'm keeping a bottle of this hidden for a few more years. I think it's going to get a whole lot better with some more age.)
Here I had a private tour of the cellar, by the winemaker herself who you can see absolutely loves what she does.
A first for me was getting to do a tasting straight out of the barrel of a few of the wines that are currently being matured. So exciting! I mean, here I am, drinking wine, with the winemaker, straight out of the barrels in the cellar. More of an unique experience I definitely could not ask for on this trip.
What was interesting is that you could pick up on how the flavours of the wines develop over time & with the maturation. The one year was so fruity & all I could taste was a whole lot of guava, then the very next year, the fruitiness had become so subtle & the wine started smoothing out nicely.
I think it's best you head out to #DiscoverPaarl & plan your visit to Mellasat Vineyards soon. You definitely won't be disappointed.
#WineRoutingWithLloyd
Written 5 July 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Eddie G
Cape Town Central, South Africa140 contributions
Jan 2018 • Friends
Mellasat has from time to time a pop up restaurant probably about once a month the venue is great but small so booking is essential. They had a gourmet burger special beef with brie bacon salad and fries or pork satay or vegetarian for Rand 199 for 2 with a bottle of wine that's about US$ 15 so anytime absolute bargain. The staff are friendly and helpful the wine excellent and the ambiance very good.if you have never been make a plan to go even if it is just a wine tasting well worth the trip.
Written 21 January 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Martin A
Cape Town, South Africa14 contributions
Mar 2017 • Couples
Such a magical destination. True hospitality with a warm welcome made us feel right at home. The picnic was amazing. This is one of the best spots to spend a lazy weekend afternoon.
Written 3 April 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alan C
St. Helena Bay, South Africa157 contributions
Jan 2017 • Couples
It was my birthday and we had not planned anything specific so I decided to meander parts of the lesser known Paarl wine route. Searched on a map and found Mellasat !! Which apparently is simply a combination of the owners names. Not being a Pinotage fan I was surprised to see the sign " Home of the White Pinotage" - ok now I am really interested. We found a very well organized tasting set up run by a young lady who was probably the most willing taste room presenter. She provided a wonderful detailed description for each variety or blend and she did so with such knowledge and passion that I would go back just to listen to her!! The wines were really good - normally I don't buy many whites but the pinotage and another "angelic" blend were definitely winners with my palate. We had a short tour of the press room where the harvested Viognier was being pressed. All in all a wonderful place to visit and they also do picnic baskets. This was yet another serendipitous find in Paarl!!
Written 24 January 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shelley M
Cape Town Central, South Africa10 contributions
Dec 2016 • Friends
Home of the white Pinotage, this place is not to be missed. Affordable, excellent tasting wines and great service every time. This place is not to be missed when visiting Paarl. There is some steep competition in the area but this wine farm knows how to pull everything together. Be sure to order a picnic (this must be done ahead of time) and a bottle of wine to enjoy at the farm when you visit.
Written 13 January 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
EJS630907
Somerset West, South Africa12 contributions
Dec 2016 • Friends
Received a warm welcome from the team on duty. Enjoyed a tasting of a couple of their flagship wines - the white Pinotage being of particular interest, together with the Tempranillo.
We were shown the "Cemetery of Forgotten Wines" - a wonderful opportunity to explore old wines and in particular, their labels.
Picnics are also on offer for those who'd like to extend their stay for a couple of hours.
We were shown the "Cemetery of Forgotten Wines" - a wonderful opportunity to explore old wines and in particular, their labels.
Picnics are also on offer for those who'd like to extend their stay for a couple of hours.
Written 30 December 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I_am_Brand0n
CapeTown27 contributions
Sept 2015 • Friends
Pros:
Friendly service all the time (we've visited twice and on both visits we were treated amazingly by the different people who've attended to us).
Vineyard is owned by a couple.
Amazing homemade chutneys and wines.
Because location is so remote; it is also quite tranquil.
Cons: Location is not central / convenient.
No food Menu.
No coffees or cooldrinks or any other beverages besides wine.
Limited Seating.
Whenever we visit, we leave tipsy and delighted. The chutneys are amazing and the fireplace makes the visit extremely ambient. I'll definitely recommend to anybody who's a novice winetaster.
Friendly service all the time (we've visited twice and on both visits we were treated amazingly by the different people who've attended to us).
Vineyard is owned by a couple.
Amazing homemade chutneys and wines.
Because location is so remote; it is also quite tranquil.
Cons: Location is not central / convenient.
No food Menu.
No coffees or cooldrinks or any other beverages besides wine.
Limited Seating.
Whenever we visit, we leave tipsy and delighted. The chutneys are amazing and the fireplace makes the visit extremely ambient. I'll definitely recommend to anybody who's a novice winetaster.
Written 13 September 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Delaille
Stellenbosch, South Africa91 contributions
Jun 2015 • Friends
No better place for a laid-back afternoon in the Paarl winelands with great wines and reasonably priced cheese & charcuterie platters (as well as good coffee and even a selection of teas and craft beers).
Written 23 June 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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