Delaire Graff sits at the top of the Helshoogte Pass above Stellenbosch, looking down the Banhoek Valley towards the Simonsberg and, on a clear day, Table Mountain. The London diamond jeweller Laurence Graff created the estate, and it works as a winery first: the vineyards fall away below the lodges, and the estate's wines, the Laurence Graff Reserve among them, are poured in the Wine Lounge. More than 400 works from his art collection hang in the restaurants and galleries and stand in the gardens. There are three restaurants, a South African bistro, Lorenzo's for Italian and Hōseki for Japanese, along with a full spa and the only Graff boutique in Africa. Sixteen lodges, each with its own pool, are spread through the gardens. The Owner's Villa is the private house of the estate: four en-suite bedrooms with fireplaces and terraces across 660 square metres, a heated 14-metre infinity pool with a jacuzzi, more than 70 works from the Graff collection, and its own chef, butler and housekeeping team. All meals are included in the villa, and stays run to a two-night minimum.
- Rooms
- 16 lodges and the four-bedroom Owner's Villa
Insider tip Plan a tasting in the Wine Lounge on the first afternoon, then dinner at Hōseki, before the villa's chef takes over for the rest of the stay.
Why I choose it A winery, a serious art collection and a fully staffed private house in one place, under an hour from Cape Town airport.