Meerendal Wine Estate & MTB Trails
For this 300-year old wine estate, history was made in 1714 when Christina Stans, widow of the first owner, planted 60,000 vines on the rolling hills of Meerendal. Following in her footsteps, Liza Goodwin, cellarmaster and winemaker since 1998, kept this tradition alive. Privately owned since 2004, Meerendal Wine Estate has been developing into one of South Africa’s top wine estates. Since 2012, “Team Meerendal” has represented the wine estate at the world’s biggest and toughest mountain bike race, the Absa Cape Epic. Meerendal is also dedicated to giving back to the community through the involvement in charities such as Songo, Food Cycle and the Bigfeet Elephant Foundation.
Wine Tasting, Dining & Luxury Boutique Hotel
Wine tastings are held in the cellar, and weather permitting, wine can be enjoyed outside on the verandah with panoramic views over the vineyards and the Boland mountains. Enjoy a coffee or some food and snacks at Carlucci’s Deli, or choose to have a healthy farm breakfast, delicious lunch or delightful dinner at the Crown Restaurant and Wine Bar. There is also a chapel, and Meerendal is a venue for weddings, conferences and functions. The beautifully restored Manor House is a luxury boutique hotel and there are six lovely guest cottages on the farm. The estate welcomes day visitors and, with its extensive network of trails, provides the ideal location for mountain biking, trail running, walking and other recreational activities.
Mountain Bike Trails
Mountain bike trails have been on Meerendal for 7 years. Meerendal has played host to many prestigious bike races, including the international Absa Cape Epic. All the trails are graded from easy to medium, and have been designed for the whole family to enjoy. The Route is made up of three inter-leading trails of 4km(Yellow), 12km(Red) and 18km (Blue), and take 1-2 hours to complete depending on your pace.
The trails make use of the natural contours of the land, thus avoiding any difficult climbs or dangerous rocky descents, There is one main ascent on the long route to test your balance and legs, called ‘Stairway to Heaven’ featuring four specially constructed switchbacks that even a novice should be able to handle. If you are feeling energetic, there is an additional new blue route that takes you to the top of the 425m-high Dorst Berg (Thirsty Mountain!) from where there is a 2km long piece of thrilling single track back down to Stairway to Heaven. It is worth the climb for the panoramic 360 degree views of the whole of the WC!
The starting point of all the trails is behind the Wine Tasting venue at the end of the tar road next to the car park. Meerendal is the perfect place to take the family for a ride, then retire to the biker-friendly restaurant after your exercise and sample some of their excellent food, or maybe even try their award-winning wines across the road at the cellar.
Day permit wristbands at R30 are available on the entrance road just before The Crown restaurant. Alternatively, make use of honesty box at the Deli if no permit seller is on duty.
We have the following facilities:
- A clubhouse – complete with ablution facilities.
- Post exercise chill area with Wi-Fi and select refreshments on sale.
- A trail shop stocked with customised merchandise for mountain biking.
- Skills clinics (trail running and mountain biking).
