Highlands Road Estate

Highlands Road Estate: Cool-climate Elgin tasting beside the dam

Highlands Road Estate sits at 75 Highlands Road, Elgin 7180, on the Highlands Road spine that links several of the valley's best-known cellars. The official estate site is highlandsroadestate.co.za. For visitors planning an Elgin day from Cape Town via the N2 and Sir Lowry's Pass, this is a working boutique stop with a published tasting-room window, café platters, pet-friendly lawns, and a portfolio built around Elgin's cool-climate whites and Pinot-friendly reds—not a large resort estate with restaurant or accommodation.

Contact the tasting team on +27 72 260 5566 or +27 71 271 0161, or email info@highlandsroadestate.co.za / tasting@highlandsroadestate.co.za. Online sales run through the estate shop at wine.highlandsroadestate.co.za for those who cannot visit.

From apple farm to cellar: Michael White's hobby out of control

Official estate history is refreshingly direct. Owner Michael White—a Port Elizabeth attorney with Scottish ancestry—often jokes that developing a wine estate from a run-down Elgin apple farm was a hobby that got completely out of control. He acquired the roughly 26 ha fruit farm in 2004. Transformation started almost immediately: vines went in, and a production cellar, barrel cellar, tasting room, and casual café with decks beside the main dam were built in 2006 in time for the 2007 maiden vintage.

Branding leans into the Scottish thread: estate colours echo flag tones, a Celtic love knot appears on closures and labels, a vine-leaf Celtic motif serves as logo, and Highlands Road states it has its own registered tartan—kilts sometimes appear at shows. The tone on site is hospitable rather than corporate: "Slàinte!" closes the home narrative.

Who makes the wine

Official copy credits winemaker Vanessa Simkiss with cellar support from Jakob September and Freddie Gertze. The stated philosophy is top-end wine at realistic prices, chasing the elegant, fresh, fruit- and minerality-driven profile typical of Elgin—widely described as among South Africa's coolest wine regions. Guests who arrive when Vanessa is free may even coax a cellar walk-through; Mondays and Tuesdays are appointment-led or "take your chances" walk-ins according to the tasting-room page.

Signature styles to expect

The home page lists a premium range of Sauvignon Blancs, Sémillon, a White Bordeaux-style blend (sold as Sine Cera across several vintages in the online shop), Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah. The online shop also lists a Noble Late Harvest (for example NLH 2017 in 375 ml bottles). Wines of Elgin's tasting-room listing for Highlands Road additionally names Rosé, Riesling, and a Shiraz / Merlot among wines associated with the farm—useful context when you ask what is open on the day, because flight composition follows what is in bottle.

Expect cool-climate acid line and restraint rather than heavy, warm-climate extraction. Ask for current tasting options; the tasting fee is described as waived if you buy wine to take home.

Tasting room hours: prefer the estate over directories

Official tasting room (highlandsroadestate.co.za): Wednesday to Sunday, 10:00–16:00. Monday and Tuesday by appointment (or chance walk-in if the winemaker is free).

This matters because secondary listings disagree. Hello Western Cape has published "10am–4pm 7 days a week," and the Wines of Elgin tasting-rooms page has listed Highlands Road as Mon–Sun 10:00–16:00. For planning, prefer the official Wed–Sun window and phone ahead for Mon–Tue. Elgin Valley Tourism mirrors Wed–Sun hours, which aligns with the estate.

The tasting room itself has three seating moods—counter, table, and couches by a fireplace—with views into the barrel cellar and across the dam toward the Kogelberg mountains. Resident Egyptian geese are part of the scenery.

Café platters, dogs, and events (no full catering)

Platters are the food offer—not a full restaurant. Official café-platter page (researched Oct 2026):

Weekends: platters served without the weekday lead time (still book groups of ten or more). Weekdays: book at least 48 hours ahead. Enjoy in the café, on lawns and decks, or in the tasting room. Note: some route directories still quote older platter prices or "24-hour" notice—use the estate's 48-hour weekday rule.

Pets: friendly dogs are welcome, subject to resident dog Rusty's approval. Events: the property can be hired for intimate weddings or events; the estate does not provide catering (wine excepted) or event planning. Enquire via tasting@highlandsroadestate.co.za or 071 271 0161.

Practical tip for an Elgin Highlands Road day

Lock a Wed–Sun midday tasting, add a platter if you booked weekday notice or it is a weekend, then continue along Highlands Road toward other cellar doors (Iona is further along the same road spine). Bring walking shoes for lawns and dam views; swimming at the dam, where mentioned by third-party listings, is at your own risk and not a formal estate product. Confirm hours by phone before a Mon–Tue attempt.

FAQ

Open every day? Not as a default walk-in. Official: Wed–Sun 10:00–16:00; Mon–Tue by appointment. Ignore "7 days" directory copy unless the estate confirms a change.

Is there a restaurant? No full restaurant—café platters only, with weekday advance booking.

Contact: info@highlandsroadestate.co.za · tasting@highlandsroadestate.co.za · +27 72 260 5566 · +27 71 271 0161 · https://www.highlandsroadestate.co.za/