Riebeek Kasteel, a little town in the Swartland, is well known for its annual Olive Festival, but there's plenty else on offer, even in the rainy winter months.

Mention the name Riebeek Kasteel and what springs to mind? The Olive Festival, no doubt. Held in May every year, the festival has been drawing crowds since it debuted in 2001.

While olives are certainly part of the town’s attraction (witnessed by the popularity of the Olive Boutique and Kloovenburg), they’re only one reason why this dorpie is worth a visit.

Give it gas

And make no mistake – it is a dorpie. The weekend my husband Gavin and I went to visit, we ran out of petrol, only to be told that the petrol station closes at 6.30pm.

When we swung by the next day, the garage owner said if we wanted to draw money, we’d have to go to nearby Riebeek Kasteel. There’s also only one grocery store in town. Click here for the gallery.

But let’s dwell a bit on what the place has to offer. Firstly, beautiful vistas. You’re surrounded by wheat and sheep farms, and as you drive here in spring you’re greeted by fields ablaze with canola.

There are also acres of vineyards and blossom on fruit trees at the end of August.

Leave pretentious in the highway

Locals have a wonderful down-to-earth quality about them. This is certainly not a pretentious stop on a Winelands tour.

If you are wanting to sample the fruit of the vine, there are quite a few cellars to choose from (this is Shiraz country, after all).

Allersverloren is perhaps the most famous; there’s also Pulpit Rock, Kloovenburg, Riebeek Cellars and Pieter Cruythoff, named after the first European to lay eyes on the town.

Old-world charm

We decided to begin our visit to the Valley at Bartholomeus Klip, a charming old Victorian farmhouse which has been converted into a guesthouse. It’s just outside Hermon and is set in 4 000 hectares of pristine renosterveld. You won’t find the Big Five here (apart from disease-free buffalo, which form part of the reserve’s breeding project), but you’re sure to see plenty of antelope (zebra, eland and bontebok) and perhaps, if you’re very fortunate, you might spot a rare geometric tortoise.

After a refreshing game drive in the afternoon with game ranger Jonathan Honeyborn, we were treated to a four-course meal par excellence.

Stocking filler delight

Our next adventure lay in Riebeek Kasteel. We popped in at Aitsa, a tiny shop with lots of charm.

You’re bound to find some stocking fillers for Christmas here. It has the most delightful children’s jerseys and slippers (all hand-made, of course) as well jewellery, scarves and many sweet treats.

We walked away with some chocolate-coated crunchies.

Garden Bleu is also well worth a visit. It’s a garden shop with a difference – there are metal crosses wrapped with barbed wire, outdoor furniture and unusual accessories for your patio, like a wicker food cover for al fresco entertaining.

For dinner, we headed to Bar Bar Black Sheep. Chef and co-owner Mynhardt Joubert has traded his ballet shoes for an apron – and the restaurant’s décor and cuisine definitely have dramatic touches.

It can best be described as a tribute to “Boere-kitsch” – a portrait of Paul Kruger hangs nearby an old vinyl LP of “Swaai en Draai met Sakkie”.

Joubert, by his own admission, changes the menu as often as his hairstyle. We liked the affordable prices and the eclectic mix of dishes – everything from saffron and mussel soup to traditional Afrikaans fare like the tamatie bredie and springbok and Windhoek pie.

A real treasure trove

The next day a leisurely breakfast was the order of the day. We were fortunate to be staying in a hotel in the middle of town, Kasteelberg Country Inn and Bistro, whose staff were willing to serve us in our room.

The hotel has tastefully appointed rooms and a terrace overlooking a verdant garden.

After munching a selection of cheese and ham scones, fruit salad, yoghurt and muesli, we gathered strength to rouse ourselves out of bed.

And then, sadly, it was time to go home. It was our second visit to Riebeek Kasteel, and again I was struck by the richness of this valley.

The Dutch explorer Cruythoff may have been disappointed when he failed to discover gold here in 1661, but I remain convinced that the town is a real treasure trove.

Brew over these Winelands packages to find a treasure trove of your own.