Chilled… Wine under the milkwoods at Furny’s in Noordhoek
ONE OF THE smallest wine stores on the peninsula south of Cape Town – it’s hard to believe that there’s room for over 300 different bottles in this boutique. Nestled among some milkwood trees adorned with fairy lights, Furny’s on Beach Road in Chapman’s Peak Village / Noordhoek is also one of South Africa’s good Wine Bars. Quite unlike any other, location wise.
They’re off the beaten track, sometimes short of parking bays, and if you visit in a group larger than six they’ll struggle to organise a table big enough. But very laid-back, and dog-friendly – although some wine lovers might find that problematic. Neighbours include Limoncello, a family-friendly Italian eatery, and the inviting Oshun Gardens & Interiors shop. On the other side of the ‘green curtain’ is a children’s playground, but it’s not that noisy after a glass and a half.
Wine tastings start at R85pp and extend to a food-and-wine pairing board at R150pp. Over 50 wine-by-the-glass options on a list that showcases some of South Africa’s best with great track records – a few Champagnes are the only foreign exceptions. Weather permitting, a lovely place to sit outside and share a bottle of something special.
Curious about the wine producers in Cape Town’s ‘Deep South’? We have Klein Seiring in Noordhoek, whose vineyards are in Chapman’s Peak. They have two Sauvignon Blancs (one a reserve); a Semillon, and a blend of the two. And then there is also Village Lane wines, owned by the Fyfe brothers, Bruce and Dirk… Bruce has smallish vineyards on his property (predominantly Shiraz), but most of the grapes for their wines are sourced in Bot Rivier and surrounds, and made for them by Neils Verburg from Luddite. They do some superb reds, including a top-notch Cabernet Franc, as well as a Chenin. They do have a small cellar on the property where they make their own wines as well, typically for private consumption and sold to friends and locals. There are 6 of us (including Bruce Fyfe) who are currently making wine for a bit of fun, in Bruce’s cellar… We source our grapes from Franschoek and do around 700 bottles. It’s called Split The Fare Cab. And then there is also Dassenberg Farm in Crofter’s Valley Noordhoek, where Shiraz grapes are grown and wine made on the property by Maurice in a small cellar! We sell their wines at the shop… We also do complimentary tastings every Friday at Furny’s between 4:30pm and 6:30pm, where we showcase their wines from time to time.