DUKAI
The Stellenbosch winelands from the air: vineyards in a green valley below the Simonsberg, morning light through the haze

The Winelands

Wine is only
part of the story.

Vineyards. Cellars. Long lunches. Old farms. New discoveries. And the people who make the Cape one of the most extraordinary places to eat and drink.

Good wine takes time. So do the best conversations.

Christelle, laughing, holding up a bottle of red wine

Meet your guide

Christelle

As a registered Wine Specialist Guide, I've dedicated much of the past decade to crafting bespoke wine experiences for guests from around the globe, showcasing celebrated estates and hidden gems across the Cape's wine regions.

Growing up in Stellenbosch sparked my passion for wine and all things culinary at an early age. In later years, this inspired me to leave IT Project Management, earn qualifications from the Cape Wine Academy and in Tourism, and ultimately, embark on a fulfilling new career in wine. In addition to curated wine tours, I gradually extended my repertoire to designing wine menus and conducting food and wine pairings for restaurants and cooking schools.

During the constraints of the COVID pandemic, life took me to Hexham, a small abbey town in the UK, where I embarked on a new-for-me wine direction, wine retail. During my tenure at Majestic Wines, I obtained my WSET (Wine and Spirits Education Trust) certification, significantly broadening my understanding of global wine regions.

Having recently returned to South Africa, I am eager to re-engage with the magnificent vineyards of the Western Cape and look forward to sharing its unique offerings and highly accoladed wines with you!

Christelle

Wine Specialist Guide

Christelle's tours are her own, through her independent business, Groovy Oaks Wine Tours. DUKAI introduces a friend and a trusted specialist.

Visit Groovy Oaks Wine Tours
  • Old bottles of Kanonkop and Vin Santo among others, labels worn, lined up on a table

    Rare bottles

    History in a glass.

  • A 1981 Middelvlei and an old Overgaauw, dust still on the bottles

    Timeless estates

    Stories that age beautifully.

  • Barrels racked along a red cellar floor between steel tanks

    Behind the scenes

    Where great wine is made.

  • The Rust en Vrede barrel cellar under a lit brick vault

    Iconic estates

    Places with a sense of place.

Suppliers & Friends

People we trust. Places we love.

From wine and produce to kitchen equipment, experiences and services, this is a growing collection of like-minded people and companies who share a commitment to quality, authenticity and a better table.

Explore our suppliers
  • Glasses of red wine poured for a tasting beside the bottle
  • The steel basket of a wine press in the cellar
  • The open timber door of a whitewashed cellar
  • Friends raising glasses behind a row of bottles at a tasting
The Cape at dusk, Table Mountain across the bay

The Cape, one table at a time.

Come for the wine. Stay for the people, the food and the stories you didn't know you were looking for.

Good wine leads to great places and even better people.