Wine Desk
Wine Desk
5
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
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About
Wine Desk is a wine tourism consultancy operating in Cape Town since 2002. We offer a broad spectrum of tours from small group, scheduled day tours, to tailor-made, personalised private tours. Tours are recommended based on each individual's personal interests and preferences. All our guides are cultural and wine specialist guides making your experience an amazing day out with us.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
5.0
103 reviews
Excellent
91
Very good
8
Average
3
Poor
1
Terrible
0
Veronda
Chicago1 contribution
I cannot tell you what lengths this organization went through to customize our tour. I had a very "specific" request for a wine tour and (a bit of a challenge I might add--and believe me as a librarian I had done quite a bit of research to set it up myself already) not only was my request met with a top notch service and professionalism BUT it went far and ABOVE all my expectations. I was pleasantly surprised (and intrigued) when I was contacted for more information about myself and my fellow travellers and it was all used to value add to our experience. And our driver for the day turned out to be so knowledgeable and passionate about Cape Town and South African history that I wanted to campaign for him for South Africa's next president!
and i HATE to spoil a little surprise but there was CHAMPAGNE iced and ready and waiting in our Cape Town hotel room along with a hefty packet of detailed information about our customized tour and a lovely and warm welcome note. I still can't believe I was made to feel like such a queen! sorry for such a long review but I cannot say enough about my great experience and the high level of customer service I received. It tops private tours I've done in Paris hands down. Thanks to Ligia and Rubes for such great care and kindness.
I'll be back for another tour!!!!
and i HATE to spoil a little surprise but there was CHAMPAGNE iced and ready and waiting in our Cape Town hotel room along with a hefty packet of detailed information about our customized tour and a lovely and warm welcome note. I still can't believe I was made to feel like such a queen! sorry for such a long review but I cannot say enough about my great experience and the high level of customer service I received. It tops private tours I've done in Paris hands down. Thanks to Ligia and Rubes for such great care and kindness.
I'll be back for another tour!!!!
Written 17 September 2007
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
traveltrocity
Atlanta, GA11 contributions
Sept 2011 • Solo
I had the most amazing and perfect experience! I found Wine Desk and Ligia on trip advisor.
It soon became evident to me in my numerous emails to her that this lady knows South African wine and is truly connected to the local hotel and tourism industry
I was looking for a genuine wine tasting experience and wanted to understand and be educated about SA wines. I wrote to Ligia and after a few questions we agreed on adapting their Wine Connoisseur tour to my needs. By ditching the optional five star accommodation in favor of perfectly clean 3 star B and Bs I was able to drastically cut down the price. I was able to give her a list of wines and style of wines I liked and she picked several wineries that might be of interest. We initially put together a 3 day trip.
But them Ligia began to add her special gifts and experience. ..
i was planning to independently plan a trip to the eco-lodge "Grootbos" ( see separate review) which is more than 100 miles from cape Town. I was planning to rent a car and drive, but was reluctant to drive on the "wrong side" in SA. Ligia came up with an amazing offer. She was able to have me picked up in Cape Town, driven all the way to Grootbos and stop at 4 different wineries for wine tasting on the way up, and then repeat on the way back! All for the same price as a 3 day car rental, plus gas plus insurance! And in doing so I had a 5 day wine tasting tour set up that included Stellenbosch, Franschoek, Paarl, Wellington, Elgin, Hamel Arden, Walker bay regions of South Africa. She was also able to book my stay at Grootbos at a special rate and arrange for the Whale watching from her office!!
Most people go to the first 3 regions , but I discovered often overlooked gems in the other ares I would have never thought of going to.
But the best gift Ligia gave me was the Wine Guide she paired me with. Karen Glanfield is a local wine expert and a wine judge! And a very thoughtful and persuasive guide to South African wine and indeed to South Africa.
She was able to arrange experiences that are impossible to "buy" . I had the honor of tasting spectacular wines made by Cathy Marshall, the original "Garragist" wine maker, by Cathy Marshall herself! Her Eleven Barrels Pinot was a symphony! And at the almost unknown Gabrielskloof winery She arranged for a tour by the young wine maker. We descended into the cellars and tasted wines from the barrels and the various components! (the 2009 Five Arches is going to be spectacular!)
All through the tour Karen would revise and review the day ahead and modify the itinerary based on what she was learning of my palate and preferences. And I am so glad she did.
Instead of eating at fancy restaurants for 3 course lunches, we would go to local "finds" and have superb simple food at half the price! It was this constant fine tuning and individualized experience is what I am grateful for the most. Some of the things I did could not be done if I went with anyone else. At the end of a day we would taste between 35-50 wines. Yes the spittoon was vital. and we perfected the art of sniff, sip, spit. Repeat. It is the only way to still be sober and learn! Karen taught me about the intricacies of wine making, the effect of terroir, microclimate and matching the fruit to the land. And yes Karen, I was able to define SA wine in a glass!
At the end of five days I had a hands on crash course in SA wine appreciation with fantastic food, great outdoors and very intelligent company. If you really want to experience Wine in the best possible way and actually learn and be educated, Call Ligia at wine Desk. And ask to be paired with Karen Glanfield.
So my favorite wine tasting experiences
1) The great ladies at Bosman (wellington) for gracious hospitality and a great Syrah
2) Jordan for the best views and most consistent quality of wines across the board
Best White wines
Ataraxia Chardonnay
Die Bartho by Hermanuspetersfontain
Nine Yards by Jordan
Best red Wines
The Grand Provence at the Grand Provence Franschoek
The BB Library Collection 2004 at Waterford
Die Arnoldus at Hermanuspetersfontain
Paul Sauer at Kanonkop
Tete de Cuvee at Bouchard Finlayson
Hidden often overlooked wineries
Grangehurst
Ruste En Vrede
Hermanuspeterfontain
Ataraxia
Best to skip
Simonsig
Raka
Ernie Ells
It soon became evident to me in my numerous emails to her that this lady knows South African wine and is truly connected to the local hotel and tourism industry
I was looking for a genuine wine tasting experience and wanted to understand and be educated about SA wines. I wrote to Ligia and after a few questions we agreed on adapting their Wine Connoisseur tour to my needs. By ditching the optional five star accommodation in favor of perfectly clean 3 star B and Bs I was able to drastically cut down the price. I was able to give her a list of wines and style of wines I liked and she picked several wineries that might be of interest. We initially put together a 3 day trip.
But them Ligia began to add her special gifts and experience. ..
i was planning to independently plan a trip to the eco-lodge "Grootbos" ( see separate review) which is more than 100 miles from cape Town. I was planning to rent a car and drive, but was reluctant to drive on the "wrong side" in SA. Ligia came up with an amazing offer. She was able to have me picked up in Cape Town, driven all the way to Grootbos and stop at 4 different wineries for wine tasting on the way up, and then repeat on the way back! All for the same price as a 3 day car rental, plus gas plus insurance! And in doing so I had a 5 day wine tasting tour set up that included Stellenbosch, Franschoek, Paarl, Wellington, Elgin, Hamel Arden, Walker bay regions of South Africa. She was also able to book my stay at Grootbos at a special rate and arrange for the Whale watching from her office!!
Most people go to the first 3 regions , but I discovered often overlooked gems in the other ares I would have never thought of going to.
But the best gift Ligia gave me was the Wine Guide she paired me with. Karen Glanfield is a local wine expert and a wine judge! And a very thoughtful and persuasive guide to South African wine and indeed to South Africa.
She was able to arrange experiences that are impossible to "buy" . I had the honor of tasting spectacular wines made by Cathy Marshall, the original "Garragist" wine maker, by Cathy Marshall herself! Her Eleven Barrels Pinot was a symphony! And at the almost unknown Gabrielskloof winery She arranged for a tour by the young wine maker. We descended into the cellars and tasted wines from the barrels and the various components! (the 2009 Five Arches is going to be spectacular!)
All through the tour Karen would revise and review the day ahead and modify the itinerary based on what she was learning of my palate and preferences. And I am so glad she did.
Instead of eating at fancy restaurants for 3 course lunches, we would go to local "finds" and have superb simple food at half the price! It was this constant fine tuning and individualized experience is what I am grateful for the most. Some of the things I did could not be done if I went with anyone else. At the end of a day we would taste between 35-50 wines. Yes the spittoon was vital. and we perfected the art of sniff, sip, spit. Repeat. It is the only way to still be sober and learn! Karen taught me about the intricacies of wine making, the effect of terroir, microclimate and matching the fruit to the land. And yes Karen, I was able to define SA wine in a glass!
At the end of five days I had a hands on crash course in SA wine appreciation with fantastic food, great outdoors and very intelligent company. If you really want to experience Wine in the best possible way and actually learn and be educated, Call Ligia at wine Desk. And ask to be paired with Karen Glanfield.
So my favorite wine tasting experiences
1) The great ladies at Bosman (wellington) for gracious hospitality and a great Syrah
2) Jordan for the best views and most consistent quality of wines across the board
Best White wines
Ataraxia Chardonnay
Die Bartho by Hermanuspetersfontain
Nine Yards by Jordan
Best red Wines
The Grand Provence at the Grand Provence Franschoek
The BB Library Collection 2004 at Waterford
Die Arnoldus at Hermanuspetersfontain
Paul Sauer at Kanonkop
Tete de Cuvee at Bouchard Finlayson
Hidden often overlooked wineries
Grangehurst
Ruste En Vrede
Hermanuspeterfontain
Ataraxia
Best to skip
Simonsig
Raka
Ernie Ells
Written 18 September 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
viv21
Sterling, VA2 contributions
While planning for our trip to Cape Town I stumbled upon the Wine Desk Waterfront website and began emailing with Ligia about activities to do in Cape Town. She was absolutely phenomenal and not only did she arrange our wine tour, but she created an entire itinerary for us for the duration of our stay in Cape Town. Ligia made all our reservations for our guest houses in Cape Town and in Franschhoek, our shark tour, wine tour, Table Mountain, and our transportation to and from the airport. It was such a relief to know that all we had to do was hop off the plane and we had everything set up for the next few days. Everything she planned for us was excellent and it was because of her that we had an unforgettable experience in Cape Town and already want to come back.
We did the Lifestyle Stellenbosch tour and we loved it. We had one other couple with us on the tour and it was nice to be able to get to know them throughout the day. Norman was a great guide and very knowledgeable about the South African wine industry. All the wineries on the tour had the most beautiful landscapes and it created such a pleasant tasting experience. Our favorite winery was the Waterford Estate – we loved the chocolate and wine paring! We stopped for lunch in the middle of the day at Spier Wine Estate and it was nice that they had a little deli where you could pick out your meat, bread, cheese, etc and then sit outside at the picnic tables to eat.
The accommodations in Franschhoek were perfect - it was right in the middle of town and walk-able to everything. The town was very quaint and we had the best dinner at Le Bon Vivant that evening. Be sure to make reservations in advance! We only wish we could have stayed longer in the wine country and could have done another tour.
We have several friends who want to travel to South Africa in the next few years and we will recommend with enthusiasm that they contact the Wine Desk Waterfront to make arrangements for a great visit to Cape Town!
We did the Lifestyle Stellenbosch tour and we loved it. We had one other couple with us on the tour and it was nice to be able to get to know them throughout the day. Norman was a great guide and very knowledgeable about the South African wine industry. All the wineries on the tour had the most beautiful landscapes and it created such a pleasant tasting experience. Our favorite winery was the Waterford Estate – we loved the chocolate and wine paring! We stopped for lunch in the middle of the day at Spier Wine Estate and it was nice that they had a little deli where you could pick out your meat, bread, cheese, etc and then sit outside at the picnic tables to eat.
The accommodations in Franschhoek were perfect - it was right in the middle of town and walk-able to everything. The town was very quaint and we had the best dinner at Le Bon Vivant that evening. Be sure to make reservations in advance! We only wish we could have stayed longer in the wine country and could have done another tour.
We have several friends who want to travel to South Africa in the next few years and we will recommend with enthusiasm that they contact the Wine Desk Waterfront to make arrangements for a great visit to Cape Town!
Written 25 November 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Flammicke
UK5 contributions
We enjoyed a full day tour in the Wellington/Paarl winelands, less than an hour from Cape Town, although you can take the option of a half day tour. We were collected from our door, and a small group of us toured five wineries in total. Our vehicle was spacious and comfortable and it was so enjoyable letting someone else drive and navigate! it also meant everyone else could fully enjoy the wine tasting. Our guide, Rubin, was interesting and informative and added an extra dimension to the day. We bought some lovely wines and had a fantastic day. Highly recommended.
Written 4 November 2007
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
aylena
Cape Town5 contributions
The best place to arrange your tour to the winelands, they run 7 days a week, for a full or half day and their website is excellent. Collection and drop off from your door with interesting, knowledgeable guides in small groups.
Written 5 November 2007
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carrie T
Atlanta, GA28 contributions
Oct 2017 • Couples
We had a wonderful 2 day wine tour with Ligia de Coito while visiting Franschhoek. She is truly an expert in her field and planned a great itinerary for my husband and I. She has a wonderful personality and is easy to spend time with. She has great relationships with the wineries and her depth of experience and knowledge is quite impressive. She also gave us spot on recommendations for places to eat both in the area where we were staying and also for our visit to Cape Town. She is resourceful, helpful and is very invested in making sure you have a worthy experience. We will look her up again when we return to the area and recommend her services to our friends!
Written 31 October 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much, Carrie. So kind. I look forward to welcoming you back!
Written 3 November 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tash1987
8 contributions
Oct 2015 • Couples
We travelled to Cape town on our honeymoon and booked this trip online in advance. The service from Heath our tour guide was superb and he was extremely knowledgable. Prior to the tour, the communication from Ligia was excellent with quick responses to any emails sent. We had the wine and food paring tour which I would recommend to anybody. We met some lovely people and had an amazing day. Thank you, it really was amazing!
Sean & Tash.
Sean & Tash.
Written 9 October 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TanyaJCox
Montana27 contributions
Oct 2013 • Business
We had Wine Desk host our photography group for a post tour after our safari. We loved the tour and the locations we went too. Everything was done professionally and organizing the tour went seamless with Ligia. Very happy with all and thank you! We will be back!
Written 28 October 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
pickledonion81
Jersey, UK16 contributions
We booked a half day tour with wine desk. I was corresponding with ligia over email to book this, who was very helpful and quick to respond to any questions. For the half day tour we visited 3 vineyards in franschoek with our guide Pim. Pim picked us up and drove us to each winerie for tasting. We cannot rate him highly enough, he was knowledgeable, passionate and informative but still with a sense of fun. My mum, brother and I don't really know much about wine apart from drinking it! Pim never patronised us or made us feel silly no matter what we said about the wie. Even when my brother said one of them tasted like flavoured water - Pim just found this funny. All in all, a great relaxed afternoon. Thank you 'wine desk' and thanks Pim.
Written 28 September 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jash2009
Portsmouth, UK28 contributions
We were in Cape Town for only 5 days over Easter and wanted to make the most of our time there. Luckily, we found comments regarding Ligia at the Wine Desk on the Trip Advisor site. She was fantastic in helping us plan our time in the city. As others have said, nothing was too much trouble. We decided on three tours – a group day round the Peninsular, a group morning at the markets on Saturday and a private day Wine Tour as our finale. Our guide for all three days was Katie and she was marvellous! She knew so much about the area (especially the wines!), and she made such an effort to understand what we were interested in and really made the tours interesting. We were lucky and no-one else was booked on either of the group tours, which obviously helped Katie tailor the days to us. By the end of the first day, we felt that we were visiting a close friend rather than being shown round a tourist area by a paid guide!
Ligia’s suggestion to have the private tour on the last day was inspired as this meant we could check out of our accommodation early and keep ourselves occupied (with our bags with us) before our night flight home. We didn’t even have to arrange a transfer to the airport as Katie planned the route for the day to finish close to the airport so she could drop us off.
Unfortunately, we weren’t able to meet Ligia when we popped into the Wine Desk but, hopefully next time!
Ligia’s suggestion to have the private tour on the last day was inspired as this meant we could check out of our accommodation early and keep ourselves occupied (with our bags with us) before our night flight home. We didn’t even have to arrange a transfer to the airport as Katie planned the route for the day to finish close to the airport so she could drop us off.
Unfortunately, we weren’t able to meet Ligia when we popped into the Wine Desk but, hopefully next time!
Written 19 April 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Looking for Accomodation im franshoek from the 20th to the 23rd September for a friend of mines 60th birthday for 10 couples
Either a bed or breakfast or hotel
Written 17 May 2016
Dear Greg
It will be our pleasure to assist you with accommodation in Franschhoek. Please let us have an idea of your budget (per person) and we will get a response to you soonest.
Regards
Ligia
CEO/Founder
Wine Desk
Written 20 May 2016
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