Olive tasting at Het Vlock Casteel
A farm shop on Kerk Street where you can taste your way through the valley's olives and oils.
Het Vlock Casteel is one of the best-known olive addresses in Riebeek Kasteel. You find it on Kerk Street, in a building styled after a Tuscan villa, and it is an easy walk from the village centre.
The tasting is the main attraction. You try a range of table olives, from mild green to rich black, along with tapenades, pestos and olive oils. It is a fun way to learn how much olives can differ depending on the variety and how they are cured.
The shop sells a wide range of olive products, as well as other local goods. It is an ideal place to buy gifts or stock up for a picnic or a braai.
Visit in the morning or early afternoon, then continue to the galleries and shops in the village. If you are staying nearby, it is also the perfect place to pick up olives for an evening drink on the stoep.
Tip: taste the olive oil on its own, with a piece of bread. Fresh oil from the valley is fruity and slightly peppery, and once you have tasted it, supermarket oil never tastes the same.