{"id":96536,"date":"2015-07-24T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-07-24T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travelstartblg.wpenginepowered.com\/mcgregor-will-surprise-you\/"},"modified":"2025-11-04T13:52:51","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T13:52:51","slug":"mcgregor-will-surprise-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/mcgregor-will-surprise-you\/","title":{"rendered":"McGregor Will Surprise You"},"content":{"rendered":"

Enter a village where time stands still, you will be surprised by the variety of things to do and the generosity you will encounter here. Bake your own bread, eat hearty country meals, spend time in one of the many libraries, attend a cinema screening, a concert, browse an art gallery or take a drive along the road to nowhere.
\nI’ve heard McGregor described as Franschhoek was 15 years ago but this does a disservice to McGregor’s singular character.\"Mcgregor\"<\/p>\n

Though the locals are appreciative of visitors they are not clamouring to have the peaceful nature of life here changed. I met a few people with similar stories of driving into McGregor one weekend and feeling so at peace that they immediately made up their minds to move here and never look back. Many people pass through Robertson onto the R62 without knowing they are missing the turn off for\u00a0McGregor<\/a>. Once you visit the village you won’t want to share your secret either.<\/p>\n

McGregor’s own Cinema Paradiso<\/h2>\n

\"movie<\/p>\n

Michael and Freddie bought Wahnfried, a gorgeous Zanzibari-inspired salon house for the village. They hold music events and film screenings here that anyone can enjoy. Just another example of the generosity that knits together life in McGregor. Like many small towns in South Africa the legacy of apartheid is apparent with the main road slicing a divide between those who have a lot and those who have less. People here do seem to care about community thus there are many shared spaces which are free of charge and open to the whole community. For info about their current program send a\u00a0mail<\/a> to Wahnfried. Call: 072 601 1616.
\n\"movie<\/p>\n

\"movie<\/p>\n

\"the<\/p>\n

Take the Road to Nowhere to Lord’s Winery<\/h2>\n

\"Lord's
\nI have to say the winery I enjoyed visiting the most was Lord’s<\/a>. Drive out 10 km on a dirt road (known as the Road to Nowhere) and you’ll find the winery ringed by mountains and conducive to rose-tinged sunsets. Expect a warm welcome at the winery (we were hosted by Melan\u00e9) and you’ll be led into the cellar among the barrels to do a tasting, perhaps including wine out of the barrels if you’re lucky.<\/p>\n

Because the vineyards are between 480m and 500m above sea level the terroir is perfect for pinot noir.\u00a0The award-winning 2010 pinot noir (Gold Michelangelo International Wine Awards, Silver Veritas Wine Awards 2012 and the Bronze Old Mutual Trophy Wine) and the Chardonnay Pinot Noir Methode Cap Classique were delicious highlights. The winery has a warm, authentic atmosphere. Do yourself a favour and visit. Open from Monday to Friday from 08:30 to 16:00 and on Saturday from 10:00 to 15:00. Closed on Sunday.
\n\"Lord's \"wine<\/p>\n

Visit the library of Irish poet, Richard Murphy, at Tebaldi’s restaurant<\/h2>\n

\"tebaldi's\"
\nWe experienced dinner at Tebaldi’s, a restaurant in the village named after the voluble Italian prima donna, the sign decorated with a plumed peacock. We were seated in the poetry room near a roaring fire quaffing single vineyard Arendsig wine<\/a> in the company of Lourens van der Westhuizen the winemaker himself. If you venture into the library you’ll find yourself surrounded by books, the collection donated by illustrious poet Richard Murphy. Murphy now lives in Ceylon but used to divide his time between Dublin and Durban (where his daughter lives). In summer you could happily sit outside at tables that edge the garden. Lourens is very knowledgeable and passionate about his single vineyard wines. He explained how the Robertson Valley is home to pockets of greatness or little areas of soil which make it possible to produce extraordinary wine of all cultivars, depending on the terroir of each pocket.
\n\"tebaldis\"
\n\"tebaldis\"
\n\"tebaldi's\"<\/p>\n

Accommodation<\/h2>\n

\"the<\/p>\n

\"the<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

\"theThere are many affordable, budget and higher-end places to stay in McGregor owing to a large expat community who only spend half a year or less in McGregor and rent out their houses the rest of the time. There are also many B&B’s. I stayed at the Kite House<\/a>, a luxurious, modern building with two bedrooms and a separate outside room. The house has an inviting pool (refreshing in summer, photogenic in winter) and is decorated in an airy modern dutch style with tasteful wooden furniture, ceramics and art. The garden has stairs which lead to a square with a fountain where two peacocks can be found roosting at dawn. The square is a communal space shared by the surrounding houses and lends the house a sense of expanse that sweeps over the town all the way to the mountains in the distance.<\/p>\n

There are also cosy cottages, rural farm retreats and winefarm escapes. Contact Mira at\u00a0McGregor Country Getaways<\/a> for a wide range of options.
\n\"morning<\/p>\n

Dog Treats at the McGregor Morning Market<\/h2>\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n

#mcgregor dog treats at the morning market #winterweekendescape<\/a><\/p>\n

A photo posted by Travelstart (@travelstart) on