Western Cape

Every estate leaves its mark.

The Cape's verified cellar-door membership.

For people 18 and over. Drink responsibly.

Your Cellar

A seal for every farm you actually visited.

Scroll, and the wax presses in. Each mark belongs to one estate, pressed onto the shoulder of a wine bottle, the way the historic Constantia Wyn glass bottle seals were.

Sample seals

Western Cape

Wax & Wine

No. 01482

Klipkop
Stellenbosch
Vrede
Franschhoek
Oak Valley
Elgin
Protea Ridge
Hemel-en-Aarde
Eagle's Rest
Constantia
Goldleaf
Paarl

Checked in within 500m · these farms are examples

How it works

Three steps. No points for driving past the gate.

01
Visit a farm
Taste, walk the vines, stay for lunch. One membership is welcome across partner estates.
02
At the cellar door
A drive-by does not count. You cannot add a visit yourself from the car park.
03
Check in at the estate
Open the app at the cellar door and check in. We confirm you're within 500m, and the estate's seal is pressed into your collection.

In the membership

A membership, not another feed.

Seals

Every estate has its own wax seal. Check in on your phone at the estate. We confirm you are within 500m, and the seal is pressed into your collection. Collect them the way the Cape is actually driven: one valley at a time.

Points and tiers

Visits earn points. Points become a tier: Explorer, Enthusiast, Connoisseur, Ambassador. The tally only moves when you check in within 500m of the estate.

Farm deals and events

Partner farms publish tastings, lunches, and harvest mornings for members. You see what is on while you are planning the day.

Route notes

A short note, sometimes a photo, for members only. No followers and no feed to keep up with. A note in Your Cellar, not a social network.

The route planner

Pick a region and a half day or a full day. Farms line up in driving order, with time for lunch and a reminder to choose a driver. The full planner is part of Plus. A sample day is open below.

Quizzes and seasonal challenges

A wine quiz for a quiet evening, and a challenge when the season turns. The longer set lives in the app. There is a short one further down this page.

Why it is different

Not a single-estate club. Not a review app.

Most wine clubs belong to one farm. Most loyalty apps belong to everyone and no one. Wax & Wine is the Cape's verified cellar-door membership.

How Wax & Wine compares with single-estate wine clubs, generic loyalty or review apps, and self check-in apps. Those visits are self-reported. Here, a member checks in on their phone within 500m of the estate.
Point	Wax & Wine	Single-estate wine clubs	Generic loyalty or review apps	Self check-in apps
One membership for many estates	Yes	NoOne farm, or one group	No	NoA check-in, not a membership
A collectible seal for each farm	YesArtwork from that estate	No	No	No
How a visit is recorded	Self check-in, confirmed within 500m	Only at that one estate	Usually self-reported	Self-reported
Made for the Cape	YesWestern Cape, rand, en-ZA	For one property	Made for everywhere	A check-in tool, not built for the Cape
A community that is not social media	YesRoute notes, for members	A mailing list, if that	It is the social network	No
Free to join	Yes	Often a fee, or a case to buy	Free, and noisy	Often free

One membership for many estates

Wax & Wine: Yes
Single-estate wine clubs: NoOne farm, or one group
Generic loyalty or review apps: No
Self check-in apps: NoA check-in, not a membership

A collectible seal for each farm

Wax & Wine: YesArtwork from that estate
Single-estate wine clubs: No
Generic loyalty or review apps: No
Self check-in apps: No

How a visit is recorded

Wax & Wine: Self check-in, confirmed within 500m
Single-estate wine clubs: Only at that one estate
Generic loyalty or review apps: Usually self-reported
Self check-in apps: Self-reported

Made for the Cape

Wax & Wine: YesWestern Cape, rand, en-ZA
Single-estate wine clubs: For one property
Generic loyalty or review apps: Made for everywhere
Self check-in apps: A check-in tool, not built for the Cape

A community that is not social media

Wax & Wine: YesRoute notes, for members
Single-estate wine clubs: A mailing list, if that
Generic loyalty or review apps: It is the social network
Self check-in apps: No

Free to join

Wax & Wine: Yes
Single-estate wine clubs: Often a fee, or a case to buy
Generic loyalty or review apps: Free, and noisy
Self check-in apps: Often free

The winelands

Eleven regions. One pass.

Hover or tap a region. The shapes are an illustration, not a road atlas. Farms named here are examples.

Sample farms

Stellenbosch

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chenin Blanc

Oak avenues, Cape Dutch gables, and the mountain always in the frame. The heart of a classic Cape day.

Klipkop
Cape Dutch gable, Cabernet on the lower slopes.
Gable & Vine
A short cellar walk under the oaks.
Lantern Hill
Small-lot reds, then the road home.

Region quiz

Where in the Winelands do you belong?

Six questions. No exam. Not a sommelier test. Just a region that fits the day you actually want. Farms in the result are examples.

Question 1 of 6

What does a good Saturday look like?

Sample day

Plan a day, in order.

Pick a region and a pace. Three example farms, a lunch stop, and estimated drives. The full planner is part of Plus. Nothing here is a booking.

Region

Pace

About four hours. Keep the tastings short.

10:00
Klipkop
Cape Dutch gable, Cabernet on the lower slopes. About 40 minutes. Sample visit.
11:15
Lunch on the Klipkop stoep
Sample kitchen. Eat before the second tasting.
Drive
15 min on the Helshoogte road
Estimated drive. Sample timing.
12:40
Gable & Vine
A short cellar walk under the oaks. About 40 minutes. Sample visit.
Drive
10 min between the oaks
Estimated drive. Sample timing.
14:05
Lantern Hill
Small-lot reds, then the road home. About 40 minutes. Sample visit.

Choose a designated driver or book a shuttle. Wax & Wine is for tasting, not for drinking and driving.

Sample cards

This season

A taste of what's coming: examples only. Real offers from partner estates appear at launch.

Deal

Weekday cellar tour, no fee

Klipkop · Stellenbosch

Until 30 November

Show your membership at the tasting room. Sample offer, not a live listing.

Event

Two tastings with Saturday lunch

Vrede · Franschhoek

Saturdays in November

Book the table, then the flight. Sample event.

Deal

Picnic baskets from the orchard

Oak Valley · Elgin

Weekends

Order in the morning. Sample offer.

Event

Sunset Pinot hour

Protea Ridge · Hemel-en-Aarde

Fridays, 16:30

A short pour on the ridge. Sample event.

Event

Harvest breakfast

Goldleaf · Paarl

14 November

Early, and outside if the wind allows. Sample event.

Deal

New-release tasting

Sea Glass · Durbanville

8 November

Members see it first. Sample offer.

Sample notes

Route notes, not a social network.

Example notes.

Members leave a few lines after a visit. No followers, no likes on display, no feed to perform for.

“The Chenin tasted like the wind off the wheat. We stayed for a second glass and left the scorecard in the car.”

Amina · Wheat & Wire, Swartland

Sample note

“Staff pressed the gable seal before we had finished the flight. Quiet room. Serious Cabernet.”

Johan · Klipkop, Stellenbosch

Sample note

“Mist on the vines, and a Pinot that did not shout. Wrote this from the bench by the proteas.”

Lerato · Protea Ridge, Hemel-en-Aarde

Sample note

Membership

Free to join. Plus, when you want the book.

Free

The membership, for everyone 18 and over.

A membership that works across partner farms
A wax seal when you check in within 500m of the estate
Status points and tiers
Route notes, the members' page
Farm deals and events

Get Wax & Wine

Yearly · Launch pricing coming soon

Wax & Wine Plus

For people who already know they will be back on the road.

Member-only deals
Double points on check-ins
Exclusive seasonal seals
Early access to events
The full route planner
An optional printed book of your seals at the end of the year

Join the waitlist

Leave your email and we'll write when Wax & Wine Plus opens.

For wine farms

Your visitors already drive between estates.

Give them a reason to come back to yours. Wax & Wine is the shared membership. You keep your name, your seal, and your room.

Repeat visits
A seal in the collection is a reason to come back, and to bring the next car.
A seal with your artwork
Your gable, your vine, your mark. Pressed when a member checks in on their phone within 500m of the estate.
Deals and events
Publish what is actually on, to people who are already in the winelands.
No extra work
Members check in on their own phone within 500m of the estate. There is no extra work for your team, and nothing to administer.
POPIA-safe
Built for South African privacy law. No social graph of your guests.

How it works for a farm

1. We draw your seal with you.
2. Members check in on their phone within 500m of the estate. There is nothing for your team to do.
3. You publish a deal or an event when you have one.
4. You see verified visits and real member footfall. Members see their own seals.

Partner with us

Tell us about the estate. We'll write back about joining Wax & Wine.

Get the app

It installs from the browser.

No app store needed. Open Wax & Wine, add it to your Home Screen, and it launches like any other app.

Open Wax & Wine

Google Play and App Store versions are coming.

Add to Home Screen. Pick the phone you use.

iPhone, in Safari

Step 1
Open Safari
Open Wax & Wine in Safari. Other browsers on iPhone cannot add it to the Home Screen.
Step 2
Tap Share
Tap the Share button in the Safari toolbar.
Step 3
Add to Home Screen
Scroll the share sheet and tap Add to Home Screen.
Step 4
Tap Add
Confirm the name, then tap Add. The seal icon sits with your other apps.

Android, in Chrome

Step 1
⋮ menu
In Chrome, tap the ⋮ menu.
Step 2
Add to Home screen
Tap Add to Home screen.
Step 3
Add
Tap Add. The seal icon sits with your other apps.

Questions

Before you drive out.

Is Wax & Wine free?

Yes. The membership, seals, points, Route notes, and farm deals are free. Wax & Wine Plus is a yearly option. Launch pricing coming soon. You do not need Plus to collect seals.

Is this only for people 18 and over?

Yes. Wax & Wine is about wine. You need to be 18 or older to use it, and to be on this site. Please drink responsibly, and decide on a driver before you leave.

How is a visit confirmed?

You check in on your phone when you are at the estate. Your phone's location confirms you're within 500m, and the estate's seal is pressed into your collection. A drive-by does not count.

Does it work on an iPhone?

Yes. Wax & Wine installs from the browser, including iPhone Safari. Add it to your Home Screen and it opens like any other app. There is nothing to download from an app store yet.

What does a farm see about me?

Farms only see visits to their own estate: your first name, your tier, when you visited and any deals you redeemed there. They never see your date of birth, email, cellphone number or your activity at other farms unless you choose to share it. Read our full Privacy Policy.

How does a farm join?

Use the partner form on this site. Tell us the farm, the region, and who to write to.

Learn

Shades of Wine: what colour tells you

Read the guide