Middelvlei is ideally situated in the heart of the beautiful Stellenbosch Winelands on the slopes of Papegaaiberg, just 4 kilometres from the town centre and a 40-minute drive from Cape Town. It’s a charming family-friendly wine farm with wonderful wines and food on offer at its Boerebraai restaurant.
Middelvlei wine estate is a charming farm with breath-taking views overlooking the Bottelary Hills and upper reaches of Devon Valley, against the backdrop of the majestic mountains surrounding Stellenbosch. The beautiful 52-hectare farm is especially famous for its red wines.
In 1919 two brothers, Marthinus and Niels Momberg, bought Middelvlei and moved their families to the farm. A year later the first wines were pressed, mainly fortified at that stage. Their two sons, Stiljan (quiet Jan) and his cousin, also Jan but called Jan Bek (because of his more outgoing and voluble personality), inherited the farm in 1960. In 1963 Stiljan bought his cousin’s half share in the farm to become the sole proprietor.
Over the next thirty years, Stiljan set about establishing one of the model wine farms in the district.
Today, brothers Ben and Tinnie Momberg apply the knowledge passed down to them through three generations of wine-making to produce wine of exceptional quality and reputation. Tinnie has showcased his talents with his specialty, the Free-run Pinotage, a unique wine made through natural, un-pressed processes which set it apart from its peers.
Wine-making
Based on traditional winemaking methods, the cellar boasts a combination of old and new techniques which have been refined through over 100 years of family wine-making.
Their de-stemmer/crusher gently removes the stems of the grapes and crushes the berries to minimise hard tannins in the wine. Another, more modern, addition is a new-must cooler to cool down the crushed berries before the fermentation process, thereby better preserving the fruit flavours. However, keeping with the methods passed down from father to son, the grapes are fermented in traditional open cement tanks and their cellar makes use of a gravity fed system to move the wine, rather than using machine pumps.
The cellar also hosts a maturation facility for 300 oak barrels (225 litres each) which are predominantly French oak, with a small selection of American oak to provide additional variation when developing the wood structure to certain wines. The wines are then bottled on the farm.
Wine-tasting
The wine-tasting centre, a charming building that was once the estate’s horse, is open for wine-tasting and sales from Monday to Sunday.
Some of Middelvlei’s wine ranges
Rooster range
The Middelvlei Rooster range consists of three varietals, all of them fantastic social wines.
Middelvlei range
The Middelvlei Premium wine range consists of six varietals, each with its own unique characteristics for you to enjoy.
Momberg range
This is the Middelvlei premium blend that was made to give extra dimension to the quality range of Middelvlei wines. This wine offers middle-palate complexity and a delightful lingering aftertaste.
Boerebraai restaurant
Join the Momberg family from Monday to Sunday lunch to be part of a very special, authentic South African outdoor barbecue experience.
An integral part of South African culture is to cook outdoors. Having a braai has evolved into a unique South African social event, with family and friends gathering to share good stories and a special bottle of wine, creating a memorable experience.
ENTER AND WIN
Two readers stand a chance to each win a case of the 2022 Cinsaut Rosé valued at R720 each. To enter, please email your name, membership number and delivery address to journal@saica.co.za
