Westbridge

In 1714 Johannes Mulder, first Landdros of Stellenbosch, was granted the area known as Hopenburg. It was then renamed Muldersvlei.

If you like peace, you'll like this place. A Cape Weaver is working away noisily making nests for its wives over the back door of Julian and Helen Starke's Manor House. Westbridge house was built in 1817 and is surrounded by huge shady trees with a rambling garden with patches of mint and lemon balm for you to pick, scratch and smell.

With a long history of farming Holstein cows and producing milk and fine citrus fruit for export, winemaking had skipped a generation in the Starke family when Ian "picked up a book on wine-making in the library at school and never put it down" and made his first wine as his matric art project, drawing inspiration from his grandfather Julius who had made his last wines in 1948.

Ian's father Julian had been supplying quality grapes to the well known Simonsvlei Cellar close by. Fifth generation Ian produced what the authoritative John Platter South African Wines Guide 2001 called "some cracking first-release wines" for the 1999 vintage. And they crack even louder now!

Stylishly labelled wines are called Westbridge Vineyards. The label was designed by Ian by hand - his artistic abilities coming to the fore once again - with a Holstein Cow on the back label paying homage to the dairy in which Ian now makes his wine.

The old winery has been relieved of its cobwebs and spruced up for a charming tasting and sales room with double cellar doors opening out onto a shaded lawn. The other side of the building houses one of Helen Starke's guest lodges - she calls it "home from home". Wooden floored with high ceilings, fireplace for winter and pool for summer, a peace haven on a working farm.

The Westbridge Vineyards Pinotage 2003 has the most sensational nose, aromatic eucalyptus and ripe warm mulberries drawing you into the glass for a taste of the full flavoured almost savoury berry fruit with gentle vanilla undertones. The Westbridge Vineyards Juliette available in 02 and 03 vintages is a fruity and easy to drink blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and a splash of Shiraz, with Pinotage included in the Juliette 03.