Marras

Marras Wines: Riebeek West tasting room & BBQ restaurant

Marras is winemaker Martin “Marras” Lamprecht’s cellar door and restaurant at 48 Voortrekker Road, Riebeek West—granite-rooted Swartland wines with a smoke-kissed BBQ diner attached. Official site: marraswines.co.za. Tagline on the home page: “Easy to enjoy, impossible to forget.” Meta and body copy stress unpretentious Swartland wines rooted in granite soils, built for energy and easy charm rather than stiff ceremony.

On a Riebeek Valley day trip from Cape Town or Malmesbury, Marras fills the gap between appointment-only farm gates and large estate playgrounds: you get a priced flight, a smoker kitchen, and Paardeberg views without needing a 48-hour cellar-tour deposit—provided you phone through the hours quirk below.

Wine tasting fee and hours (read carefully)

Official Visit Us body line:

• Wine tasting: Wednesday–Saturday 11:00–17:00; Sunday 11:00–16:00
• Fee: R60 per person for six wines

However, the same official pages also print a structured WINE TASTING timetable that mirrors the restaurant clock:

• Mon–Tue closed
• Wed–Fri 12:00–21:00
• Sat 11:00–21:00
• Sun 11:00–16:00

That is an on-page conflict between the 11:00–17:00 tasting paragraph and the longer evening tasting table. Resolve by phone before you rely on either window: restaurant/visit line 076 221 6432, or Martin 082 491 1948 / [martin@marraswines.co.za](mailto:martin@marraswines.co.za).

Older Swartland Wine and Olive Route boilerplate still mentions generic ≥48h appointment notes on some producer pages; for Marras, live official hours/fee on marraswines.co.za supersede appointment-only planning—unless staff ask you to book for a large group or a busy Saturday evening.

Practical tip: if you want tasting only (no dinner), aim for the conservative 11:00–17:00 Wed–Sat window from the body copy unless the team confirms evening pours are open. If you want dinner plus wine, the restaurant clock is clearer.

Restaurant: BBQ smoker & farm-to-table

Marras Restaurant celebrates honest food, big flavours, and sharing plates inspired by Martin’s travels, with a BBQ smoker and farm-to-table dishes overlooking the Paardeberg. Official restaurant hours:

• Monday–Tuesday closed
• Wednesday–Friday 12:00–21:00
• Saturday 11:00–21:00
• Sunday 11:00–16:00

Book via phone 076 221 6432 or check Dineplan (marras-wines restaurant listing) for tables and seasonal specials (past Dineplan windows have carried evening promotions such as “Wackier Wednesday”—confirm current specials live). Menu prices are not fully reproduced here—confirm on Dineplan or when booking. The Visit Us page frames the space for lingering: smoke, vibrant whites and reds, playful blends, and Swartland spirit.

Wines and regions

Official brand language: Wine of Origin Swartland character from granite soils; the Swartland Wine and Olive Route also notes craft across Swartland and Piekenierskloof under Martin’s lead—“son of the soil” framing for wild, site-driven bottles. Expect a full collection for tasting (six-wine flight at R60) plus retail/delivery (“Buy Wine” on the home page). Inventory notes granite/schist site wines. Specific SKU lists rotate—ask which six wines are in the current flight when you arrive or call ahead if you need a particular bottle reserved.

How to plan a Riebeek West stop

1. Call 076 221 6432 to confirm whether tasting follows the 11:00–17:00 body hours or the longer table aligned with restaurant service. 2. Budget R60 pp for six wines; add restaurant time if you want the smoker experience. 3. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays—do not plan a midweek-Monday valley hop here. 4. Combine with Kloovenburg in Riebeek Kasteel (short drive) for olives, hiking, or Eight Feet coffee the same day. 5. Parking and pin: 48 Voortrekker Road, Riebeek West—ask staff if GPS is fuzzy on side streets. 6. Groups: message ahead even when walk-up hours exist; Friday and Saturday evenings fill with diners.

What makes Marras different on the Swartland route

Many Swartland producers are appointment-only farm gates. Marras offers a town-edge tasting room with a published fee and a genuine BBQ restaurant—ideal when you want food and wine without booking a guesthouse estate three days out. The trade-off is the need to phone through the hours conflict so you do not arrive at 18:00 expecting a tasting that only runs to 17:00 (or vice versa).

Compared with Kloovenburg’s olive-and-hike sprawl or Leeuwenkuil’s industrial-scale Windmeul cellar, Marras is intimate, smoker-scented, and built around Martin’s personal brand of easy-drinking Swartland bottles.

FAQ

How much is tasting? R60 pp for six wines (official Visit Us page).

What are tasting hours? Body copy: Wed–Sat 11:00–17:00, Sun 11:00–16:00. Structured table on the same site matches restaurant evenings Wed–Fri to 21:00. Phone to resolve.

Is there food? Yes—BBQ smoker / farm-to-table restaurant with published hours above.

Who is Marras? Martin “Marras” Lamprecht—contact 082 491 1948 / martin@marraswines.co.za.

Do I need 48 hours’ notice? Not as a default on the live official visit page; still book restaurant tables and confirm tasting windows by phone.