Words & Photo: DKC (De Kock Communications)
The Van Ryn's Distillery close to Stellenbosch is widening its repertoire of tastes, adding locally made cured meats and cheeses to the flavour menu.
The new Charcuterie et Fromagerie offering showcases hams, salami, coppa and other meats made by small producers from the Boland and surrounds, as well as a variety of cow and goat's milk cheeses. While items change regularly so visitors can sample new tastes all the time, there will always be a choice of cheese platters, meat platters and combined meat and cheese platters, as well as Van Ryn’s Signature Sandwich featuring roast beef, handmade flatbreads with a variety of toppings, and salads made from the freshest ingredients, to enjoy with the award-winning range of brandies.
The big draw card for summer is the Van Ryn's Flame-Grilled Sausage Sandwich, prepared on the lawns.
Pricing varies between R75 and R135 per offering.
Glamorous cocktails are also served either in the cool spacious tasting lounge amidst the gleaming copper potstills or outside in the garden under big umbrellas.
On a sweeter note, the hand-made chocolates, Florentines and cake remain a firm feature of the popular menu and can also be paired with the Van Ryn's Collection Reserve brandies that perform so well at the International Wine & Spirit Competition, the International Spirits Challenge, Veritas and in the Platter's South African Wine Guide.
The distillery’s summer opening hours are:
Mondays to Fridays: 09:00 – 18:00
Saturdays and public holidays: 09:00 – 16:00
Sundays: 11:00 – 16:00 (no tours)
For more information and news on what’s happening at Van Ryn’s visit www.facebook.com/vanryns or www.vanryns.co.za or call (021) 881 3875.
