Neighbourhood CT - 22 September 2019

Neighbourhood 22 SEPTEMBER 2019

PROPERTY & LIFESTYLE

Paardevlei paradise The Paardevlei Lifestyle Estate near Strand boasts all life’s most-wanted luxuries, every amenity you can’t imagine living without, and is pet-friendly, page 12

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PINOTAGE HERITAGE

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ART AUCTIONS 101

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SUBURB FOCUS: KUILS RIVER

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NEWS & LIFESTYLE

22 SEPTEMBER 2019

Editor’s exclusive CARLA REDELINGHUYS

In your hood:

Neighbourhood

Stellenbosch winelands

Cavalli Estate | 021 855 3218 | cavalliestate.com

A decade and counting

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he restaurant at Gabrielskloof Wine Estate, between Bot River and Caledon, recently celebrated its 10th birthday and to celebrate, owners Mariaan and Frans Groenewald have launched a menu featuring their greatest hits that will be served until November.

Central to the restaurant’s success is not only its breathtaking location, the focus on seasonal produce for their no-nonsense, hearty yet stylish meals, but also their authentic generosity dispensed informally – the philosophy at the centre of the restaurant's operations.

The greatest hits menu celebrates the culinary journey, with both breakfast and lunch availability. “This anniversary menu is a big thank you to guests who’ve become regulars over the years,” says Frans. “Our aim has always been to offer the broadest welcome and comfort.”

And they have certainly succeeded in that.

SEE FOR YOURSELF Gabrielskloof Wine Estate 028 284 9865 gabrielskloof.co.za

Horses for courses

Tasting Cavalli’s stable of wines with a focus on their flagship Cremello WORDS: KIT HEATHCOCK

IMAGES: SUPPLIED

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rriving at Cavalli as the sun comes out after a winter cloudburst, the stunning indigenous gardens that line the road along the ridge glisten with raindrops. Everything is neat as a pin, from the state-of-the-art barn, home to the American saddlebred horses that give the estate its name (cavalli is Italian for horses), to the vertical gardens on the restaurant building and vineyards each side.

as green as possible. “The owners are passionate about holistic farming.

We’re mindful about minimizing use of sprays, using a cover crop between the vines.” And the contemporary green-star rated main building uses a geothermal-exchange system linked to the dam it overlooks, to heat and cool.

Winemaker Craig Barnard welcomes us to the tasting room with a glass of Capriole MCC, a chardonnay blanc de blanc. Cavalli’s 27ha under vine produce the fruit for all their wines, he tells us.

“We’re chenin and cabernet driven – focussing on how we can best express those varietals and how they work with various blends.” As well as growing all their own grapes, Cavalli keep things

PUBLISHED BY TIMES MEDIA PROPERTY PUBLISHING

Looking over that dam to a splendid view of valley and mountains, we’re introduced to Cavalli’s flagship Cremello blend, aged for 14 months in French oak. Craig first guides us through tasting the single varietals that go into it: a crisp elegant chenin, fruity and slightly flinty chardonnay, and warm butterscotch verdelho, so that we get a feel for each element.

A vertical tasting follows, comparing the multi award-winning, rich and creamy 2015 Cremello, the light bright

2016, and the just-released 2017 to which Craig has added a dash of viognier for a smoother mouth feel.

Later we grab our preferred glass and head through to lunch in the restaurant, where chef Michael Deg is at the helm.

Over Franschhoek trout with miso, crunchy daikon and pickled red cabbage from the estate’s vegetable garden, the Cremello 2015 stands up well to bold flavours. Next the flagship cabernet blend, Warlord, is the ideal pairing for our generous portion of springbok loin, served with garlic mash, Jerusalem artichoke puree, and bok choi.

If you fancy the full Cavalli equine experience, book for one of the regular stable tours. You may even meet Fancy Boy, the palomino saddlebred who is the poster-horse for Cremello, his image decorating the wine label.

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Neighbourhood

In your hood:

Cape winelands

Diemersfontein | 021 864 5050 | diemersfontein.co.za Vondeling | 021 869 8339 | vondelingwines.co.za Kanonkop | 021 884 4656n | kanonkop.co.za Survivor Wines | 023 347 6838 | survivorwines.com

Pop a pinotage!

Nothing celebrates the winemaking heritage of South Africa like a finely crafted pinotage WORDS: RICHARD HOLMES

IMAGES: SUPPLIED

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hether you’re lighting the braai fire or preparing a potjie, a well-crafted pinotage should be on your table this Heritage Day. This uniquely South African cultivar traces its roots back to 1925, when Abraham Izak Perold, professor of viticulture at the University of Stellenbosch, cross-pollinated two classic French grapes, pinot noir and hermitage, also known as cinsaut.

The rest is history, and today pinotage is enjoying something of a revival as local winemakers find new ways to treat this proudly South African grape more gently in both the vineyards and the cellar.

Family-owned Wellington estate Diemersfontein has long been a proud producer of pinotage, thanks largely to its much-loved Original Pinotage, redolent with notes of chocolate and coffee. But their latest release – The Prodigy – is a different drop altogether.

Made from younger vineyards, “the lighter fruit-driven style of The Prodigy perfectly ticks the box for everyday enjoyment”, says Francois Roode, cellar master and winemaker at Diemersfontein.

Just across the valley at Vondeling, winemaker Matthew Copeland is probably still celebrating his firstever win in the Absa Top 10 Pinotage awards. That was for his 2016 Bowwood Pinotage, only released three years from harvest after extended ageing in bottle and barrel. The result? “A luxurious, full-flavoured modern expression of pinotage,” says Matthew.

If Vondeling is the newcomer to the Absa Top 10 list, Kanonkop is the oldtimer showing it’s still producing the goods. With its Kanonkop Pinotage 2015 this Stellenbosch estate made history by cracking a nod in the top 10 for the 14th consecutive year. The only problem is that you’ll struggle to find the 2015 vintage, but never fear… 2017 is also hailed as an excellent year, and there’s no shortage of this ripe, elegant wine available directly from the estate.

For a well-priced top-10 winner look no further than the Survivor Pinotage 2017, from Overhex Wines International. It’s a bold expression of pinotage, but with no shortage of spice and elegance.

“Rooted firmly in the Swartland and made from prized low-yielding, dryland vineyards near Malmesbury, we believe that our Survivor Pinotage expresses a true sense of place and authenticity,” says winemaker Ben Snyman.

In Schmidt’s world, you won’t have to wonder which range will suit your new kitchen best.

Describe the ki kitchen of your dreams, and Schmidt will do the rest. In a process that is all about exclusivity, nothing is prefabricated; each order is manufactured and everything is craaed to the nearest millimetre – “no extra cost”. Made-to-measure soluuons at a very affordable price is no longer a luxury. Worldwide all Schmidt products are guaranteed:

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PROPERTY NEWS

22 SEPTEMBER 2019

Neighbourhood

The auction world is totally transparent and not an intimidating space at all ALISTAIR MEREDITH, ART SPECIALIST, STRAUSS & CO FINE ART AUCTIONEERS AND CONSULTANTS

Hidden treasure?

Things to know about art valuations, auctions and investing know-how

WORDS: ANNE SCHAUFFER

IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK

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ecently in London, an artwork relegated to the owners’ spare room was auctioned for a few hundred thousand pounds.

The owners had stashed it away and had no idea of its value.

We hear these stories but the reality is that most people don’t know where to begin if trying to ascertain whether the personal artwork in their home has any value.

Alistair Meredith, an art specialist at Strauss & Co Fine Art Auctioneers and Consultants, is well aware of how the art world can be daunting. “We work hard to dispel that,” he says. “The auction world is totally transparent and not an intimidating space at all.”

Meredith says what people see in the movies – large, silent New York galleries with intimidating staff — has created a daunting image of art exclusivity.

“We run live and online art auctions, have road shows where the public can bring artworks to be valued, and we

respond happily to emails requesting valuations or opinions,” he says.

“Just provide us with a photograph of the artwork, its dimensions, and the artist’s name. Sometimes it’s near impossible to value – say, an 18th century artwork with no signature.”

Valuation

How do they arrive at a valuation?

“We rely entirely on auction precedents and are very objective and market-related; we try to find similar work sold on auction (in terms of the artist, size, medium and condition) and those results determine broad objective guideline figures for that particular work.”

An art auction is a simple, transparent process. “Each piece has a clearly stated guideline price. You choose how high you want to bid. If you win the auction, you pay the hammer price (and a stated premium) and it’s yours. What the work sells for is up to the market (everybody in the auction room or online). It’s very down to earth,” he says.

Meredith says it’s a myth that you could inadvertently bid on an item by unconsciously scratching your nose during an auction. “You have to register before you bid, and you’ll be given a bidding paddle. When you bid, the auctioneer will ask you if you intended to do so.”

Inside track

The South African art market has exploded over the last decade.

“There’s been huge interest in local art from South Africans, expats and, increasingly, the international market,” says Meredith.

“We’re always a little hesitant about speaking about art as a pure investment because nobody has a crystal ball, but the more research you do, the better idea you have of an artist’s trajectory. Read up and speak to dealers, art galleries and auction house specialists. But buy art you love and enjoy it every day on your wall as it appreciates,” Meredith concludes.

Sound advice.

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PROPERTY NEWS

22 SEPTEMBER 2019

Neighbourhood

Suburb focus

Kuils River

Affectionately known as the Kuils Riviera by some residents, Kuils River is where the Northern Suburbs meet the Stellenbosch winelands WORDS: KIT HEATHCOCK IMAGES: NATASHA LASSEN & GOOGLE MAPS *Map not to scale

K

uils River is a diverse area that goes from upmarket gated estates with a rural feel backing onto farmland, and middleincome residential developments on the urban fringes, to city bustle and light industry in the corridor along main Van Riebeek Road. Kuils River started life as a small-town staging post between Cape Town and Stellenbosch and although it has long become part of the metropolis, some of its history remains in old church buildings from this period, and the 15-milestone marker at the entrance to the suburb.

What many residents cite is the convenience of living right out of the city centre but with easy access to all the main arteries. It’s convenient for the international airport, and the new link roads connecting to the R300 take you onto the N1 or N2 in minutes.

Stellenbosch is 20 minutes’ drive, Somerset West 30 minutes. Then, of course, you have all the Stellenbosch wine farms as your playground, many of them with trails for running, MTB and dog walking, and a recently created neighbourhood green lung in Haasendal Nature Reserve.

Property

Schools

Kuils River has seen a steady increase in residential development at all price points in the last two decades.

Prime among those are the five upmarket gated estates on the slopes adjoining Zevenwacht Wine Estate, which together almost make up a separate rural suburb with access to farm trails in the hills above. A new retirement estate with care facilities, Zevenwacht Lifestyle Village, has recently been added to this cluster.

While some residents settle here for an easy school-run to Stellenbosch’s well-regarded public schools, nowadays there are also more schools closer to home. Curro in nearby Brackenfell is a popular private option.

Next to Kuils River golf course between Bottelary Road and Haasendal Nature Reserve, Haasendal Estate is an ambitious new lifestyle estate currently in development, planning to include several gated residential estates, a medical centre, shopping mall, offices and a Curro school, to become a live-work-play hub.

Then there are longer established suburban enclaves such as Eikenbosch and Rouxville, often bought as investment properties and in demand as rentals.

On Klein Zevenwacht Estate, Academy Private School offers small classes from preschool to matric and horse riding is available as an extra-mural. Mikro Primary has long been the top public choice for the Afrikaans community, followed by De Kuilen High School.

In addition to the mainstream schools, Jan Kriel caters to children with special educational needs and Alta du Toit is a dedicated school for children with intellectual disabilities.

Explore Being at the gateway of the Stellenbosch winelands there’s no shortage of things to do. Starting right on the doorstep at Zevenwacht Wine Estate, there are picnics, a restaurant, kids play areas and a beautiful lake.

Just down the Bottelary Road, Hazendal Wine Estate has something for all the family – a deli, Russian tea garden, fine-dining restaurant, jazz evenings and Wonderdal, which is a state-of-theart kids edutainment centre.

Then if you head down the Polkadraai Road towards Stellenbosch, there’s everything from strawberry picking, to Eagle Encounters at Spier, fabulous wine estate restaurants and a choice of weekend markets. Trail-running, mountain biking, horse riding and hiking along farm trails is part of the joy of living so close to the countryside.

HAZENDAL WINE ESTATE

In the old days the country feeling of the residential estates was underlined by the distance from shops and even petrol stations, but now in the Langverwacht Road there’s a new fuel station, an excellent Checkers and even a Woolworths Food store, making last minute shopping errands much easier. For more varied retail therapy and movies Tyger Valley Centre is within comfortable reach, as is CapeGate Shopping Centre.

22 SEPTEMBER 2019

Neighbourhood

PROPERTY NEWS

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ZEVENWACHT WINE ESTATE

PLAY EAT

You’ll pay

R14,475 per month

R1,029m In a complex

over a period of 20 years at 10% prime

For an apartment

R1,697m For a house

Median asking price

COMPLEX

5%

For a typical property (two-bedroom apartment)

8%

R7,500 In a complex

87%

R799,000

R6,500 R9,450 For a house

9% 59%

32%

For an apartment HOUSE

median asking price

Netcare Kuils River Tygerberg Hospital Eerste River Hospital Melomed Bellville Private Hospital Mediclinic Cape Gate

R6,500

Based on

R1,5m

• • • • •

For rent

R1,5m

For a typical property (three-bedroom house)

HOSPITALS

APARTMENT

For a typical property in this area

Median asking price

APARTMENT

Monthly bond repayments

• Wonderdal: interactive play and edutainment centre at Hazendal • Kuils River Golf Club • Walk and run the farm trails on the surrounding wine estates • Picnics by the lake at Zevenwacht wine estate. Or for some serious pamper time, visit Bakwena Day Spa, also on the estate.

• Bracken Nature Reserve: gentle nature walks and spring flowers • Haasendal Nature Reserve: a newly established reserve • Bugz Playpark with indoor and outdoor play areas, rides and waterslides in summer

HOUSE

For sale

COMPLEX

• Hazendal Wine Estate: Avant Garde for fine dining, Babushka Deli for family-friendly casual • Zevenwacht Wine Estate: old-fashioned country restaurant in the Cape Dutch manor house • Cattle Baron on Saxenburg Wine Farm: excellent steaks and views • Neethlingshof Restaurant: innovative contemporary cuisine in historic manor house • Jordan Wine Estate: Jordan Restaurant for fine dining, The Bakery for casual breakfast and lunches

BOOK

NOW

Rebosa invite 265mm x 189mm.indd 1

0861 222 928 res@bakwenaspa.co.za

Zevenwacht Wine Estate Langverwacht Road, Kuilsriver

www.bakwenaspa.co.za

2019/09/12 12:45

Neighbourhood

22 SEPTEMBER 2019

FOCUS ON: ZEVENWACHT LIFESTYLE ESTATE

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Only the best will do Independent living apartments at Zevenwacht Lifestyle Estate make retirement to the Cape winelands affordable

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evenwacht Lifestyle Estate is right next to the renowned Zevenwacht Wine Estate on the Stellenbosch Wine Route, and offers superb lifestyle options for the over 50s in an unbeatable setting.

Multi Spectrum Property (MSP) has just released a limited offer linked to the purchase of independent living apartments at Zevenwacht Lifestyle Estate, which are fully completed and ready for occupation.

Riaan Roos, CEO of the MSP group of companies, explains, “Purchasers who buy now will not have to pay any levies for 12 months. These onebedroom and studio independent living apartments are priced from R1,159,900, with no transfer duties payable, making retirement in the winelands affordable and achievable.

The special offer is the cherry on top.

Anyone who has been considering their retirement living choices would be well advised to make their move now.”

The 54 independent living apartments at Zevenwacht Lifestyle Estate are ideally positioned around the 1,100m² Zevenwacht Care Centre, which offers the reassurance of care being close-by.

The apartments are designed with practicality and convenience in mind, with well-balanced finishes.

Each has an allocated parking bay and is fitted with a solar geyser. Only 29 apartments remain available.

The studio and one-bedroom apartments are 47m2 in extent, with a well-considered layout that gives a feeling of spaciousness. They include covered patios or balconies.

Residents receive Call4Care 24-hour monitoring, health and emergency alert services, clinic services once a week if required, and five days per year (per unit) respite care in Zevenwacht Care Centre. Weekly housekeeping, linen and laundry services are included in the standard monthly levy. In due course a golf cart shuttle will be available to residents for transport inside the estate.

Zevenwacht Care Centre also looks after social and other care – with a dining hall, library, lounge, braai facilities and covered balconies to soak in the views.

Security is top-notch, with CCTV and access-controlled entrances and 24-hour roaming security guards and electrified fencing. Each dwelling includes a 24-hour emergency and healthcare response system.

All residents of Zevenwacht Lifestyle Estate receive a patronage card offering discounts at Zevenwacht Wine Estate, which offers a restaurant, wine-tasting, conference facilities, tennis courts, sauna and spa.

A fully furnished show apartment is available for viewing, on weekdays from 10am to 5pm, Saturdays from 10am to 4pm, and Sundays from 11am to 5pm.

22 SEPTEMBER 2019

Neighbourhood

PROPERTY NEWS

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Western Cape design project in finals for Human City Design Award A

Western Cape design project that encourages innovation and affordable solutions in low-income housing is in the running for a prestigious $85,000 (±R1,25m) award.

Known as the Better Living Challenge (BLC), the project is in the finals for the Human City Design Award, organised by the Seoul Design Foundation. The winner will be announced on Thursday, 26 September.

The BLC project is funded by the Western Cape Department of Human Settlements and the Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism. It has been managed by the Craft and Design Institute (CDI) for the past seven years and was a flagship project during Cape Town’s tenure as World Design Capital in 2014.

The Human City Design Award recognises projects that contribute to a more harmonious and sustainable relationship between people, society,

the environment, and nature. It’s hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, in partnership with Human Cities Network, the World Design Organisation, the Unesco Creative Cities Network – of which the City of Cape Town is a member – and the Korean Federation of Design Associations.

“It’s a great honour to have one of our projects nominated for a top global design award,” says CDI executive director Erica Elk. “This project is an excellent example of how design-led processes can unlock new thinking and ways of doing. It has been a great experience to watch the BLC take shape and grow over the years and continue to produce innovations. Over time, these will catalyse better living conditions for thousands of families living in low-income communities,” she says.

The first phase of BLC took the form of a competition challenge to manufacturers, inventors and entrepreneurs to design innovations

that meet the needs and increase the choice of products available to the home improvement market, specifically in low income areas.

The project supported the development of affordable and environmentally-friendly products for home improvement – water saving and harvesting, insulation, fire warning systems, alternative materials, and off-grid energy use.

The second phase, still in process, has involved extensive research and user-testing using design process methodology, with a focus on how to create an enabling environment for the incremental upgrades of homes in informal settlements.

The research revealed that people needed home improvement products, systems and services as well as access to information (how to improve their homes and where to access support) and skills development (how to build better, how to design better building processes, and how to use different materials and solutions effectively).

Get ready for Buh-Rein Phase 2 O

fficially launched just under a year ago in November 2018, Buh-Rein Retirement Village set within the award-winning BuhRein Estate in the Northern Suburbs of Cape Town, has achieved record sales, with 142 units sold to date.

The independent living apartments and the assisted living apartments on offer at Buh-Rein Retirement Village are priced from R919,900 (including transfer duty), and are being purchased at an average rate of 15 sales per month. Sales have been made up of both types of units, mostly to buyers from Cape Town.

Says Riaan Roos, CEO, Multi Spectrum Property (MSP) group of companies, “With all of our projects MSP aims to meet the real needs of real people, and we do so at Buh-Rein Retirement Village by offering well-priced sectional title ownership properties. Priced from under R1m, we cater to retirees who

wish to stretch their available funds but also to enjoy a great lifestyle now and in the future. This retirement village speaks to a segment in the market that has never been addressed before, and our sales indicate that we have certainly hit the spot in terms of demand. We’re now arguably the fastest-selling new retirement estate in the Western Cape.”

Only 10 apartments remain on offer in Phase 1, and registration has just been opened for Phase 2. Roos explains, “Despite a subdued property climate, our continued high monthly sales at Buh-Rein Retirement Village have led us to opt to include an early-bird registration list for the new phase.

This will provide interested parties with a prelaunch glimpse of our next set of apartments in Phase 2 – which is of great benefit, given the exceptional uptake. Those who are interested should register their details at buhreinretirement.co.za to get onto this early-bird list.”

Joburg’s New York and Paris

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osebank is the one to watch in terms of “big city” investment in South Africa – moving against the grain in every aspect of property growth. While owning a little apartment in New York, London, Paris or Rome would be a headliner in anyone’s private investment portfolio, it’s a financial stretch for many local and international investors to tap into the power cities of the world.

Now is a good time to look inward.

overlooked, particularly in a node like Rosebank – this is no passing trend,” says Kohler. The increase in corporates needing to house international executives close to the business district, as well as businesspeople transitioning far more frequently from Cape Town and other regions to work at Sandton-based head offices, is the reason contemporary new developments such as 100 Oxford are in demand,” says Kohler.

become one of South Africa’s most impressive suburbs and Rosebank will only grow more lucrative despite the jitters of a contracted economy,” says Kohler. “It’s the kind of area that will retain its strength and remain a very strong investment opportunity through the spikes and troughs to come,” says Kohler, who points out that R20bn has been invested in the Rosebank precinct in the past two years.

Last week it was reported that SA’s housing market had hit a surprising upswing – with industry players reporting an uptick in housing activity in recent weeks – suggesting the market has finally bottomed out.

“The timing is right to look at a ‘big city’ luxury apartment investment, particularly in an upwardly moving investment node like Rosebank,” says Jonathan Kohler, CEO, Landsdowne Investment Properties.

The appeal of owning an investment property is always about proximity to the central zone, and Sandton – as the finance, business, fashion, entertainment and retail capital – is the first point of contact for many business executives, and tourists to Joburg. Because of this, many international corporations have recently moved their local corporate head offices to Rosebank, and are looking for upmarket accommodation for executives in transit.

Recent developments include upgrades to the Rosebank Fire Station, Rosebank Mall, The Zone, Oxford Corner, Rosebank Towers, Vantage, The Bolton, The Galleria, The Tyrwhitt, The Median, and Netcare Rosebank Hospital.

“While we’re seeing wealth portfolio’s focussed on offshore investment, big city investment should not be

“As an upwardly mobile node, this district is not going to change, it has

The ongoing transformation of Rosebank as a favoured destination has also seen large-scale commercial investment, particularly with its inclusion on the Gautrain route – making in-transit transport to and from OR Tambo and other destinations an easy walk away.