Dornier’s Bodega Restaurant pairs fine wines with fresh farm cuisine

A wine estate restaurant that understands that good wine calls for good food

Bodega restaurant has one of the most beautiful settings in the Cape Winelands. It’s quietly tucked away on the Dornier wine farm in the picturesque Blaauwklippen Valley outside Stellenbosch, where pirates are said to have grown the first vines.

The Dornier family has a history of aircraft manufacturing, having produced many notable designs from the early days of aviation almost one hundred years ago. Today the Dorniers are still flying high at their Bodega restaurant ('Bodega' meaning 'wine cellar' in Spanish) in Stellenbosch; where they create farm-style cuisine to complement their award-winning wines.

The philosophy of wine and food pairing as an experience

At Dornier’s Bodega restaurant you will find a relaxing Mediterranean atmosphere, fresh and unpretentious food, combined with an African setting. Spending time at Bodega is an experience.

Good wine calls for good food, and Raphael Dornier agrees that this combination is king: "wine plays a bigger part in a life connected to food." That’s why Bodega restaurant is an ideal platform to showcase Dornier wines. He adds: "This is not only a restaurant, this is a wine estate. The food is served to complement the wines."

The philosophy: through the combination of wine and exceptional wholesome food, the wines can show their true potential and complexity.

Chef Neil Norman has a prestigious culinary background and fits in well with the Bodega picture. After working at some of the best restaurants in Cape Town, he enjoys the relaxed atmosphere at the wine farm. "Honesty of food without hiding the flavours is key" is how he describes his seasonal changing menu. At Bodega you see each ingredient on your plate. There are no fancy sauces or pretentious elements, only the best is brought out of each individual natural ingredient.

The food concept is appealing: Gastro pub (fine food in a casual environment) was the inspiration for Bodega's farm cuisine. Seasonal, honest, transparent food with the focus on the ingredients cooked creatively. "You get a new ingredient, you make a new dish!" exclaims Neil. Some ingredients, especially the herbs and the salads are produced right here on the farm. Expect wholesome, healthy and generous portions of consistent quality: from farm to table.

The menu offers something for everyone: salads, fish, beef, vegetarian dishes et al. Favourites are the pork belly and onion risotto as well as the vension ravioli with springbok 'fyn vleis'. At night, the menu is the same, but the experience is slightly more formal. And, all the estate's wines are served by glass.

Dornier offers three ranges of food wines

The Donatus Range consist of Dornier's flagship Cabernet Sauvignon blend and the wooded Chenin blanc blend. The fruit comes from Dornier's best vineyards and after harvest only the healthy grapes are selected for the wines.

All wines are fermented and aged in separate batches and skilfully blended by winemaker JC Steyn after a long ageing process. Alongside that the Dornier Range consists of mostly single variety wines, characterised by clean fruitiness, concentration and perfect balance, the range includes a bush wine Chenin blanc, a Cabernets Sauvignon/Merlot and a Pinotage. All wines have won several international and South African awards.

The pride of the Dornier wine farm is the Donatus Red, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. It's a cleverly wooded wine that goes well with red meat, especially steak. Another wine to mention is the Dornier Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend. The wine possesses great fruit ranging from red berries and plum with hints of blackberries backed up by lush aromas of mocha and cloves. The Cocoa Hill Range offers lively fruit, uncompromised pleasure, and great value. The range includes a chenin blanc, a sauvignon blanc, a rosé and a red blend.

If you are not a wine-pro yet, don’t despair. No question is a silly question according to the staff at Dornier Bodega. They will happily assist you in choosing the perfect wine to go with your meal and give you insight into the flavours and the wine-making process.

Another combination is found in the venue; with architecture from three centuries. From the terrace you see the ultra modern wine cellar across the large pond, a design of Christoph Dornier, late founder of the estate. The artist left many marks; he also created the label of the wines. The restaurant, in contrast, is set in an old Cape Dutch style barn which used to host the original cellar with a beautiful and always colourful indigenous fynbos garden in front.

Raphael Dornier says: "We try to create a very warm, welcoming and uncomplicated atmosphere." The restaurant’s dining rooms are colourful with Moroccan and Mexican flair. Raphael Dornier’s wife was in charge and her love for the combinations of colours and different African elements is clear.

The pairing of food and wine is entertaining, often surprising and sometimes magical. It is for those moments of taste bud enlightenment that the Dorniers have created their wines and Bodega.

The nearby Dornier Homestead is another architectural gem by Sir Herbert Baker, design surrounded by an magnificent garden and is offered as a villa, or as a function and conferencing venue to guests who appreciate the grand old lifestyle of the early 20th Century and value their privacy.

By Antonia Heil


• Corporate and private functions and birthdays for up to 120 guests are welcome.
• The best time of the day at Dornier’s Bodega Restaurant is sunset. Enjoy these moments with a great selection of tapas and mezze from the special menu: Luxury tapas for two at R250 (incl. a complimentary bottle of Cocoa Hill wine) daily from 3.30pm until 6pm.
• The annual asparagus festival in spring is about seasonality; the chocolate affair in winter time about comfort.

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