Celebrate the country life in Tulbagh with Drostdy-Hof

BRAND ACTIVITY

Sep 27th, 08:45

Drink in the pure country air of the beautiful Tulbagh Valley, take in its gift for living life to the full and enjoy a summer day out on Saturday, November 9, when De Oude Drostdy will be hosting its annual country market featuring wine, food, music, arts, crafts and entertainment for children. Activities start at 10:00 and run till 15:00.

De Oude Drostdy, a South African national monument, is the home of Drostdy-Hof wines. The building, designed by celebrated architect Louis Michel Thibault and completed in 1806, takes its name from the Dutch word, drostdy which means “magistrate’s office or residence". It was commissioned shortly after the establishment of the town of Tulbagh in 1804, to serve as the premises of the local magistrate.

This monument has a remarkable history. On a few separate occasions, it has been on the brink of destruction and each time it has been restored to stand as an example of the typically South African can-do attitude of resilience and endurance.

To ensure its preservation, the building was acquired by the National Monuments Council during the early 1970s. Not only was it restored by the highly-regarded architect Gawie Fagan, but all the historical buildings of Church Street were restored too, with Tulbagh now boasting more national monuments than any town of similar size in South Africa.

Today, De Oude Drostdy is a museum filled with a fascinating collection of early Cape furniture, antiques and artefacts. But as the home of Drostdy-Hof wines, it's also a unique venue for wine tasting, where visitors can sample Drostdy-Hof wines in the cellar, lit by candles to recapture the atmosphere of those early days.

The façade of the building is featured on all Drostdy-Hof wines, set against the tall Witzenberg mountains that influence the local climate and make the area so sought after for its agricultural potential. Click here for more information on Drostdy-Hof