Asara Wine Estate – The perfect spot for a little R&R

This past weekend was one of blissful R&R for the hubs and I, out at Asara Wine Estate in Stellenbosch! With kids and our busy schedules, a weekend to ourselves is not a common occurrence and so having some time this weekend, we decided to make the most of it and headed out for a little pre-1st-anniversary getaway. Yes! It’s almost a year since we said our I do’s. Madness!

We had an amazing time, from gin tasting to lounging by the pool surrounded by the most stunning views. It was just awesome and I really couldn’t fault a thing.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by friendly staff, who helped with our luggage and led us to the reception area, where we checked in. The reception area was neat and serene and surrounded by a quaint little courtyard with a deli. The staff were once again very helpful and attentive.

The beautiful courtyard perfect for a mid-morning/afternoon tea or coffee

We had a lovely courtyard room

Chilled vibes going down

After checking in and dropping off our bags, we headed over to Sansibar and started our little getaway off with some lunch and a little gin tasting.

The restaurant launched their unique ‘gin tasting experience at the end of 2016 and offers one of the largest selections of gins in the world with a total of 475 local and imported gins to choose from. A little overwhelming for a gin novice like myself, so a tasting was just perfect.

All tastings include four pre-selected gins from all around the world incl local gins and gives guests a chance to taste, compare and discover what makes each distinct. The bar staff introduced the gins to us and answered all of our questions. A great way to learn about gin.

They have 3 various options to choose from:

• The Regular – R245
• The Classic – R350
• The Premium – R495

We opted for The Classic, which was great and we thoroughly enjoyed the experience.  I do love me a good gin! For lunch, it was burgers, which were okay, I can’t say they were amazing, but they hit the spot.

Next up was some R&R at the pool, what bliss, lying in the sun sipping on a cocktail.

The hubs getting his gin on

The beautiful gin bar, how pretty?

Burgers for lunch, which were a little meh

Cool by the pool

A little-frozen margarita

In the evening we did a little walk about the estate and then headed back to Sansibar for dinner, this time it was pizza and salad which was delish, they are known for their woodfired pizzas and I can understand why. I would definitely recommend their pizza over the burger. Didn’t get a pick sorry, it was a little dark.

They do have another restaurant on the estate, Mise en Place which we popped into for a squiz, but opted to stick to Sansibar.

A little evening stroll round the estate

Misa en place. Very pretty but a tad quiet when we popped in. Apparently gets quite busy though and you need to book if you plan on dining here for the evening.

The view from Mise en place, so pretty, honestly there’s not a spot on the estate that doesn’t have a beautiful view

Sunset dinner time views from Sansibar

The next morning we were up bright and early to catch the sunrise, which was magnificent and so worth the early wake-up.

We hit the sack for a few more hours rest and then headed over to Raphaels, their elegant breakfast venue, for some brekkie. A good buffet breakfast is my most favorite part of going away and this one did not disappoint. Everything on offer was fresh and delicious with various offerings being replenished timeously. We ate until our heart’s content and then it was back to the pool to just chill!

The beautiful stillness of dawn

This is a screenshot of time-lapse video I did, it was just stunning

Breakfast with the most beautiful view

My kinda spread!!

My final verdict:

We both had a super time and left feeling refreshed and ready for the week ahead.  Seriously, if you’re looking for the perfect romantic getaway close to home or just a fun day out, Asara is most definitely the perfect spot. We will most definitely be back for a visit in the future and perhaps next time we’ll get round to doing the wine tasting, we were given a complimentary tasting voucher with our stay but we were just so content that we didn’t get round to it.

Oh, and FYI, they will be hosting the Pure Gin Festival on the 8th of December, which I’m sure will be amazing.

For more details and tickets click here.

Asara Details:

Asara Wine Estate

Address: Polkadraai Road, Stellenbosch, 7600, South Africa

Contact number: +27 21 888 8000

Email: hotel-info@asara.co.za or winery-info@asara.co.za

Web: www.asara.co.za