Langeberg-Garcia · Western Cape

Excelsior Wine Estate

Excelsior Wine Estate is a wine farm in Langeberg-Garcia, Western Cape. About 153 km from Cape Town.

153 km from Cape Town Restaurant Place to stay

Excelsior Wine Estate: De Wet family since 1859, Ashton

Excelsior Wine Estate is a multi-generation De Wet property on the R317 at Ashton in the Robertson Wine Valley—manor guesthouse, dam-edge tasting deck, Graze deli, and a signature blend-your-own red experience. Wine has been made here for roughly 170 years; the family story reaches to Koos de Wet settling in 1859, with ostrich-boom “feather palace” architecture still readable in Excelsior Manor.

Official site: excelsior.co.za.

Address note: live official pages say “On R317 Road, Ashton.” Some directories (including Wined) still print R60 between Robertson & Ashton. Prefer R317 from the estate site and confirm the pin when you book—do not navigate on the stale R60 wording alone.

Vineyards and export story

About 220 ha of noble cultivars: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, with smaller Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Viognier plantings. Official About copy stresses hand harvesting, low yields, concentrated fruit, hot days with cool oceanic afternoon breezes, plus ~45 ha citrus and an empowerment orchard project for on-estate employees. The farm states it is about 50% solar powered and was among pioneers of drip irrigation in South African wine growing. Excelsior positions itself as a major exporter to the USA among South African producers—trade context for collectors, not a tasting-room script you must recite.

Tasting room: dam deck and blend-your-own

The tasting facility sits on the water’s edge of the farm dam with birdlife and valley views. Official tasting-room page invites visitors to blend, bottle, cork, and label your own Excelsior red—a hands-on product that differentiates Excelsior from standard flights. Wine tastings and sales are offered alongside; rand tasting tariffs are not invented here from tertiary directories—enquire when you arrive or email ahead.

Wined lists tasting-oriented hours Mon–Fri 10:00–16:00, Sat 10:00–15:00—close to Graze hours but not repeated as a dedicated tasting timetable on the tasting-room HTML fetched. Phone +27 23 615 1980 to confirm tasting-room hours for your date, especially Mondays when Graze is closed.

Graze @ Excelsior (food)

Graze is the casual dam-bank deli: homemade vetkoek with gourmet fillings, meals and platters, menu changing monthly, lawn for children, jungle gym and sandpit, summer child-minder for dam-jetty fishing. Local Breederiver Valley products are sold alongside.

Official Graze hours: Tuesday–Friday 10:00–16:00; Saturday 10:00–15:00. Bookings: Deon on 023 615 1980 or 083 232 1569 (deli@excelsior.co.za on the About staff list).

Flag: Prefer official Tue–Sat Graze over assuming Monday food service. Wined’s Monday tasting window does not automatically mean Graze is open Mondays—plan lunch elsewhere on Monday or phone to clarify tasting-only access.

Guesthouse and farm activities

Excelsior Manor Guesthouse offers restored Cape Dutch Revival rooms (Robertson Tourism notes nine en-suite bedrooms including accessible option). Guests can arrange fishing (rods available), walks, mountain biking, bird watching, cellar tours (subject to availability), harvest participation, pool time with Langeberg views, and dinners paired with Excelsior wines. Activity booking path published: guesthouse@excelsior.co.za. Staff directory also lists Kirstin Coetzee (guesthouse), Desiree Vorster (sales), Peter de Wet (owner), and Cynthia Viljoen (exports).

Robertson Tourism also references the multi-day Excelsior Wine Walk starting and ending at the Manor—treat that as a specialised hiking product to book via the guesthouse, not a casual afternoon stroll assumed open to every tasting guest.

Contacts and social

FieldValue
Websitehttps://www.excelsior.co.za/
Emailinfo@excelsior.co.za
Phone+27 23 615 1980
AddressR317 Road, Ashton, Western Cape
Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/excelsiorwine/ (verified @excelsiorwine)
FacebookNone confidently verified on official HTML (bot challenge blocked footer scrape)—left unset
YouTubeNone verified
Bookingguesthouse@ / deli phone / info@ for tastings; tasting-room page https://www.excelsior.co.za/tasting-room/

Ostrich boom to vines (short history)

After the feather market collapsed with the motorcar era, Kowie de Wet and son Oscar pivoted harder into horses and vines—official About copy credits that switch with keeping Excelsior solvent when many peers failed. The Cape Revival manor and European furnishings remain part of the guest experience narrative. Visitors should treat ostrich history as heritage context, not an on-site animal attraction.

Place on an Ashton–Robertson day

Excelsior rewards a slower stop: Graze lunch, dam-deck tasting, optional blend-your-own, overnight in the manor. Geography pairs naturally with Ashton Winery (R62 town) and Arabella (R60), or Bonnievale R317 estates further south. Export fame matters less to day-trippers than the child-friendly lawn and the chance to cork a personal bottle. Bring binoculars if birdlife on the dam is part of your reason to visit.

FAQ

Is Excelsior on the R60 or R317?

Official site: R317, Ashton. Confirm GPS; ignore sole reliance on older R60 directory lines.

When is Graze open?

Tue–Fri 10:00–16:00, Sat 10:00–15:00 per official deli page—not Mondays.

Can I blend my own wine?

Yes—official tasting-room page promotes blend, bottle, cork, and label of an Excelsior red; book/enquire via info@ or phone.

Is there accommodation?

Yes—Excelsior Manor Guesthouse; contact guesthouse@excelsior.co.za.

Things to do at Excelsior Wine Estate

  • Wine tasting & pairings

    Wine tasting

    Official tasting-room page: dam-edge deck; wine tastings and sales; blend, bottle, cork and label your own Excelsior red. De Wet family five generations; R317 Road, Ashton. Contact +27 (0)23 615 1980 / info@excelsior.co.za.

    Details on the farm website ↗
  • Wine tasting & pairings

    Wine sales

    Official deli: homemade gourmet vetkoek (menu changes monthly), meals and platters; lawn at farm dam; kids jungle gym, sand pit, horse feeding; summer child-minder for dam-jetty fishing; local products for sale; wander to tasting room deck over water. Bookings: Deon 023 615 1980 or 083 232 1569.

    Details on the farm website ↗
  • Wine tasting & pairings

    Blend / bottle / cork / label your own red

    prefer official Graze hours for food; treat route Mon tasting open as unverified vs official deli Tue start until phone-confirmed. Stay & guest activities — Official guesthouse: fishing (rods available), scenic walks, MTB, birdwatching, golf-cart farm exploration, cellar tours, harvest participation, wine blending sessions, pool with vineyard/Langeberg views, dinner paired with Excelsior wines in dining room; activities bookable via guesthouse@excelsior.co.za.

    Details on the farm website ↗
  • Restaurants & dining

    Restaurant / deli (Graze @ Excelsior)

  • Family & kids

    Kids (jungle gym / sand pit / horses; summer dam fishing with child-minder)

  • Places to stay

    Stay (Excelsior Manor Guesthouse)

  • Places to stay

    Cellar tours (guesthouse)

  • Places to stay

    Outdoor (fishing / walks / MTB / birdwatching / pool — guesthouse)

Browse all experience types

Notable wines

Purebred range; Chardonnay; Cap Classique; red blends

Wines made here

Wine list from wine.co.za. The taste words are drawn from those notes, which are not reprinted here. Ask the cellar door what is pouring on the day.

Visiting with kids

Graze@Excelsior sits on the farm dam with a big lawn: kids use the jungle gym and sand pit, feed the horses, and in summer a child-minder takes them fishing off the jetty.

With kids. About 131 min from Cape Town. Suited to toddlers, tweens.

Play areaAnimalsLawnsCasual food

  • jungle gym
  • sand pit
  • feeding the horses
  • supervised fishing off jetty (summer)
  • wine walks

Excelsior Wine Estate is one of Robertson’s strongest family farms. Graze@Excelsior sits on the farm dam with a big lawn where kids use a jungle gym and sand pit, feed the horses, and in summer a child-minder can take them fishing off the jetty. Supervise near the open dam at all times. Graze deli hours are Tuesday–Friday 10:00–16:00 and Saturday 10:00–15:00; book via Deon (023 615 1980 / 083 232 1569). Wine walks add a gentle adult activity while littlies play on the lawn. Ideal for toddlers and tweens who need animals, play equipment and water in one well-run stop.

Is there a play area?

Yes — jungle gym and sand pit on the dam lawn.

Can kids feed animals or fish?

Yes — feed the horses; in summer a child-minder offers fishing off the jetty.

Do we need to book Graze?

Yes — book via Deon on 023 615 1980 or 083 232 1569.

Nearby with children

  • Avalon Springs (Montagu hot springs) — Splash park, Montagu · 14 km
  • Cogmanskloof Pass — Walk or hike, Montagu / Ashton · 10 km
  • Die Kloof Padstal — Farm stall, Montagu · 12 km Website
  • Platform 62 Farm Stall & Garden — Farm stall, Ashton · 6 km

Family notes checked 5 October 2026. Confirm on the farm’s website before you drive. Source. More family farms in Robertson. Things to do near this farm. Stay on this farm. Weddings on this farm.

Staying here

Restored Cape Dutch Revival manor with nine en-suite rooms, a deck pool with Langeberg views and wine-blending sessions on the dam.

Place to stay. About 131 min from Cape Town. 132 min from the airport. Excelsior Manor Guesthouse (9 rooms: Hussein|Allure|Dancing Duel|San Louis|Agricola|Evanthuis|Country Cousin|Gondolier|Octavius).

Guesthouse, Manor. 9 units.

PoolWheelchair

Cape Dutch Revival manor; panoramic vineyard and Langeberg views

Excelsior Wine Estate runs a restored Cape Dutch Revival manor guesthouse with Langeberg views.

Property: Excelsior Manor Guesthouse (9 rooms: Hussein, Allure, Dancing Duel, San Louis, Agricola, Evanthuis, Country Cousin, Gondolier, Octavius).

At a glance

  • Stay type: guesthouse, manor
  • Amenities: deck pool; tasting room on the dam; wine blending; dinner in the manor dining room
  • Access: one room with facilities for disabled guests
  • Rates: no nightly rack published; enquire (a dated 2026 Wine Walk package is separate)

Facts from official sources in our stay audit (Last checked 5 October 2026). Re-confirm rates, minimum stays and child/pet rules on the estate's own booking page before paying a deposit. Region guide: country wine farm accommodation.

How many rooms does Excelsior have?

Nine en-suite rooms.

Is there wine tasting on site?

Yes — tasting on the dam, plus blending and cellar tours.

Are nightly rates online?

No nightly rack. Enquire with the guesthouse.

Stay notes checked 5 October 2026. Confirm the rate and what is open before you book. Source. More stays in Robertson. With kids. Weddings.

Weddings here

Intimate wedding package at the Excelsior Manor Guesthouse: up to 36 seated indoors, with 9 en-suite rooms for the wedding party on a working wine farm

Limited weddings. Up to 36 seated. About 131 min from Cape Town. 132 min from the airport.

Rooms on siteSmall weddingIndoor

Excelsior Manor Guesthouse (indoor; opulent dining room)

Picturesque wine farm in the Robertson Valley; pool deck with panoramic views of vineyards and the Langeberg Mountains

Excelsior Wine Estate's Manor Guesthouse is listed as Limited: an intimate wedding package for up to 36 seated guests indoors, with nine en-suite bedrooms and the Octavius honeymoon suite on a working wine farm.

At a glance

  • Capacity: up to 36 seated indoors
  • Stay: nine en-suite bedrooms for the wedding party; honeymoon suite Octavius
  • Spaces: opulent dining room at Excelsior Manor

Before you book, ask for a written summary of inclusions (tables, linen, staffing, bar and ceremony set-up), finish times, the rain plan and any compulsory suppliers. Capacities and packages change, so rely on the estate's dated quote for your guest list and season. Robertson is roughly two to two-and-a-half hours from Cape Town, so most guests stay overnight — plan evening shuttles between town lodgings and the farm.

Price: Package details on enquiry via the guesthouse site.

Last checked 5 October 2026 against the estate's official information. Confirm details directly before booking.

Before you enquire

  • No wedding price published. Separate Romantic Robertson Honeymoon Experience R3700 pp sharing (2 nights, page lists 2025/2026 wine-walk rates); not a wedding price
How many guests can Excelsior Manor host?

Up to 36 seated indoors for the intimate wedding package.

Can the wedding party stay over?

Yes — nine en-suite bedrooms plus a honeymoon suite.

Is it a large wedding venue?

No — our audit marks it Limited for intimate celebrations.

Wedding notes checked 5 October 2026. Guest numbers and packages change. Ask the farm for the current offer. Enquire. Source. More wedding farms in Robertson. With kids. Stay. Tours.

Tours that stop here

All wine tours

Questions before you go

Where is Excelsior Wine Estate?

Excelsior Wine Estate is at Robertson, in Langeberg-Garcia. Most visitors drive there from Cape Town in 2.5–3.5 hours.

When is Excelsior Wine Estate open?

Closed Sunday. Hours change, so call +27 236261980 before you drive.

Can I do a wine tasting at Excelsior Wine Estate?

Yes, tastings are listed. A current price is not on this page yet, so call +27 236261980 for fees.

Can I eat at Excelsior Wine Estate?

Yes, there is a restaurant on the farm. Book ahead for weekend lunches.

Can I stay over at Excelsior Wine Estate?

Yes, the farm offers accommodation. Call +27 236261980 for rates and availability.

Wine of Origin

Geographical unit: Western Cape → Klein Karoo → Langeberg-Garcia

Langeberg-Garcia and the Montagu–Tradouw belt are the western Klein Karoo: mountain-edge vineyards and Route 62 cellar stops.

Terroir snapshot

Elevation and soil figures are modelled at the pin, not a vineyard block survey. Use them to compare farms, not to quote a technical sheet.

Latitude
-33.89
Longitude
20.078
Elevation
325 m (Open-Meteo)
Soil pH
7.1 (SoilGrids 0–5 cm)
Clay
19% (SoilGrids)
Organic C
30.7 g/kg (SoilGrids)

Sources

  • OpenStreetMap node 4087697610
  • Wine route membership: association listing
  • Wine list: wine.co.za
  • Family notes: farm website, checked 5 October 2026
  • Stay notes: farm website, checked 5 October 2026
  • Wedding notes: farm website, checked 5 October 2026
  • Tours: operator pages
  • Elevation: Open-Meteo
  • Soil: ISRIC SoilGrids

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