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Rijk’s Private Cellar – Family-owned producing superior Chenin Blanc and Pinotage.

Rijk’s Private Cellar – Family-owned cellar producing multi awarded Pinotage and Chenin Blanc, restaurant and luxury accommodation.

Small family-owned wine estates often bring out the best from their vineyards. Rijk’s is no exception. Rijk’s brings together low yielding soils, producing exceptional wines, serving great food, to friends and wine lovers.

A little about Rijk’s Private Cellar

Rijk’s Private Cellar derives its name from the same person, that gave the town Tulbagh its name, Rijk Tulbagh who was governor of the Cape between 1751 and 1771.

Fast forward 200 years to 1996 and Neville Dorrington buys a 136-hectare farm of virgin land in a valley mostly dedicated to fruit and a few cattle and dairy farms. The aspects were north, south, east and west facing and the soils shale. This may be ideal for fruit farming, but Neville had other ideas..

They experimentally planted many cultivars in the first two years of planting to ascertain, which do best. Planting included Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Shiraz, and Pinotage. The ultimate winners were – Chenin Blanc and Pinotage.

A restaurant and hotel on the premises have added to the appeal of this cellar. The hotel offers luxury wine estate accommodation while the restaurant offers traditional Cape cuisine platters and a seasonal menu.

Rijk’s gives you the feeling that you’re enjoying fine wine with friends and family.

Saronsberg Cellar at a glance

Wines of note

  • 888 Pinotage Gold,
  • 888 Chenin Blanc Gold,
  • Reserve (Pinotage),
  • Reserve (Chenin Blanc)

Winemaker

Adriaan Jacobs

Viticulturist

Neville Dorrington

Owner

 Neville Dorrington

Reasons to visit

  • Highly prized Pinotage
  • Chenin Blanc
  • Luxury Hotel
  • Naturally beautiful setting
  • Family cottages.

Best time to visit

This is an all-year destination, with a winter fireplace and alfresco (outside) summer tables.

What to do at the Rijk’s Private Cellar

Highlights of the estate

  • Award-winning Pinotage and Chenin Blanc
  • Luxury and family Accommodation
  • Breathtaking Views
  • Great restaurant

Things to do or see

  • Wine tasting
  • Platters
  • Mountain biking
  • Bird watching

Outdoors

  • Several outdoor activities are available in the area, such as hiking and mountain biking, as well as walking through the historic town of Tulbagh.

Side-tracks

Rijk’s Private Cellar is a great base to explore the surrounding valley.

Events

No regular festivals.

Contact Wine Estate

website: Rijk’s
Contact: Enquiries
Tel: +2723 230 1622

Social Media

Facebook: Saronsberg
Instagram: Saronsberg
Twitter: Saronsberg

Wine tasting

Opening hours: 

10:00 am to 4:00 pm Tuesday to Saturday

Restaurant hours

Opening hours: 

Breakfast: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Lunch: 12 am to 4 pm
Dinner: 6 pm to 9 pm

More vineyards on the Tulbagh wine route

Tulbagh Wine Route

Jacques Fouche

Jacques has been a keen travel junkie, for as long as he can remember. Having spent his childhood in Namibia, Limpopo province in South Africa (near the Kruger National Park ) and KZN in South Africa and later Cape Town, always been surrounded by nature and beautiful scenery. Qualifying as a safari guide in 1996, Jacques guided over virtually all possible natural eco systems and travelled over hundreds of thousands of kilometers, through all the southern African countries. Later he spent 8 years living and working in Austria, mixing cultural, city and natural scenic travels all across Europe.

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