Anura

Between Paarl and Franschhoek, at the foot of the Simonsberg in the farming country of Simondium, there's a stop that does more under one roof than most estates attempt at all. Anura makes still wine, a traditional-method sparkling and even brandy, and pairs the lot with an on-site cheesery and charcuterie — which means a tasting here slides, easily and happily, into a long graze. Come when you want a relaxed, family-friendly Paarl day with genuine range, not a single-bottle pilgrimage.

Simondium's advantage is position: central, easy, wedged between two of the Cape's busiest wine towns, so it makes a natural base for a winelands day. Anura leans into that — this is a broad, welcoming farm rather than a narrow cult cellar, and it's better for it if you're travelling with people who don't all want the same thing.

Breadth is the point

Don't come looking for a single laser-focused wine. The whole proposition here is range: reds and whites across several styles, sparkling, fortified, and food made on the property. That breadth means there's something for every palate at the table, and it turns a quick tasting into an afternoon. For a group with mixed tastes — or anyone who likes to eat while they drink — that's exactly the right kind of stop.

Anura is built for the long, unhurried version of a winelands afternoon — wide range, food on site, nobody rushed.

Start with the bubbles

Lead with the Cap Classique — the estate's traditional-method sparkling, made the same way as Champagne with a second fermentation in the bottle. It's the natural opener, crisp and celebratory, and a good showcase of the estate's more serious side. South Africa's Cap Classique is one of its genuine bargains against the French benchmark, and it's the right way to begin a tasting that's going to sprawl.

The reds and a Rhône white

For substance, the Reserve red is the Bordeaux-style flagship — the estate at full stretch, structured and built for the table. And among the whites, the Viognier is the one to seek out: a Rhône variety Anura has made something of a speciality, textured and aromatic, a fuller-bodied change of pace from the crowd-pleasing Chenins and Sauvignons elsewhere on the range.

Make it a long lunch

The real trick here is to lean into the food. Add the estate's cheese and charcuterie to your tasting and you've built a proper grazing lunch without leaving the property — the reds and the sparkling both come alive next to good cheese and cured meat. This is where Anura earns its keep: not as a five-minute pour, but as the anchor of a slow afternoon.

How to visit

Book ahead, especially for groups, and plan to linger. Go on a weekday out of the summer peak if you want the calm version, and ask the team to run from the Cap Classique through the whites to the Reserve reds, then order the cheese and charcuterie to close it out. Simondium's central spot makes it an easy first or last stop on a Paarl-and-Franschhoek loop, and its family-friendly, unhurried feel makes it a good place to settle in rather than dash through.

Here's the practical case for it: on a winelands trip with mixed company — some who want serious reds, some who just want bubbles and a plate of cheese in the sun — a broad, easy farm like this keeps everyone happy without a compromise. Use it as the relaxed anchor of a day, the place you eat and slow down, and save the single-focus cult cellars for the members of the party who actually want to study the wine. Not every great stop has to be a pilgrimage.

What to buy

One bottle home? The Cap Classique — a serious traditional-method sparkling at a friendly Cape price, and the estate's most food-flexible pour. For the cellar, the Reserve red is the Bordeaux-style flagship built for the table. And the Viognier is the characterful pick: a Rhône white the estate does well, and a welcome break from the usual winelands whites.