Extraordinary Africa>South Africa>The Winelands>Delaire Graff
Delaire Graff is a gorgeous luxury lodge set on a vineyard near Stellenbsoch, with one of the finest art collections we’ve seen in a while.
What’s Delaire Graff really like?
We loved Delaire Graff from the moment we first arrived. It has the very best sort of high-end hospitality where we felt both incredibly well looked after, but the atmosphere was laid-back and fun. The design and artwork is exquisite, but feels effortless and natural rather than formal and starchy.
Exploring the main building there’s a spa, a reasonable gym (rumour has it while guests love the idea of it, it’s very rarely used) and outside there’s an infinity pool with a built-in jacuzzi looking out over Stellenbosch and the vineyards. Also in the main building is Indochine- the restaurant, though despite the name, it serves mainly African style food, with Asian flavourings. As with many wine estates in the area, the spa and restaurant at Delaire are open to the public, but it’s clear that they take trouble to make in-house guests feel comfortable and relaxed- staying in the lodge is easily the best way to get the better tables in the restaurant and private wine tasting reservations.
Built around the main building is a semi-circle of lodges – all with their own private pool, sitting room and terrace. Deluxe and Luxury Lodges are the same size and built as individual cottages – the main difference is that Deluxe Lodges are tucked away amongst the trees, whereas Luxury Lodges look out over the mountain and the valley- we also loved how much sun they got every day. Superior Lodges are built in pairs as duplexes, and are a little larger still, with views towards the vineyards. The two Presidential Lodges each sleep 4 and have a central dining and sitting area with a bigger pool. Finally, for families or groups travelling together, there’s the 4 bedroom private Owner’s Villa.
A short golf cart ride away is the Delaire Graff Restaurant and the part of the vineyard that’s open to the public. In the same building as the restaurant there’s a wine store, a clothes shop, a wine tasting lounge, and a Graff diamond shop. We did ask if the delicious wine might be a cunning ploy to encourage gloriously extravagant diamond purchases… The atmosphere here is full of life and young, stylish visitors, and we’d definitely recommend popping over one night for dinner and to admire the art, which includes Tretchikoff’s famous Chinese Girl painting.
What can I do at Delaire Graff?
For so many visitors to the Winelands, heading out and exploring the local wineries and restaurants is the main focus of their stay. However, in between all of that, there are great running, hiking and biking trails around the estate. Art lovers, or almost anyone really, will also enjoy a wander through the estate’s sculpture gardens.
Giving back at Delaire Graff:
Each guest who stays at Delaire Graff helps to support FACET- a charity set up by Laurence Graff to improve the lives of children and youth. This operates across Southern Africa, including with the Pebbles Project nearby in Stellenbosch. They support mobile learning centres which travel around the Winelands bringing books, activities and educational materials to the local children.
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