🥬 You wanted lettuce. You got 24 toilet rolls instead.

TOGETHER WITH

If you tried calling a South African yesterday afternoon and they didn't answer, there was a good chance they were "just watching the rugby."

Which, as we all know, actually means shouting at the TV, questioning the referee's eyesight, explaining to everyone in the room what the Springboks should do next, and somehow becoming an international rugby expert for exactly 80 minutes.

England arrived in South Africa hoping for a famous victory.

Instead, they were given a very thorough tour of Ellis Park.

By the second half, the Boks were running in tries, the crowd was loving every minute of it, and braai fires across the country were mysteriously burning just a little brighter.

The best part wasn't even the rugby.

It was watching millions of South Africans instantly unite. For one afternoon, traffic became lighter, shopping centres got quieter, WhatsApp groups exploded, neighbours could be heard celebrating over the walls, and complete strangers started greeting each other like lifelong friends.

Sport has a funny way of doing that.

Now, if only we could bottle whatever happens to this country during a Springbok test match and use it every Monday morning.

Another Stellenbosch wine has put our town firmly on the world stage.

Tokara's Reserve Collection Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 has been selected for two of the wine industry's most respected international honours, cementing its reputation as one of South Africa's standout red wines.

The wine has been chosen as one of just 12 Cabernet Sauvignon-based reds to feature in the prestigious 2026 Judgement of Davis, a blind tasting hosted by the University of California, Davis, celebrating 50 years since the famous Judgement of Paris transformed the global wine industry. It has also been named the only South African red wine selected for this year's World's Best Sommeliers' Selection, where leading sommeliers from many of the world's top restaurants evaluate exceptional wines.

These latest honours add to an already impressive list of international awards for the 2022 vintage and are another reminder that Stellenbosch continues to produce wines capable of competing with the very best anywhere in the world. Not bad for a bottle that started its journey on the slopes of the Helshoogte Pass.

🎼 Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival – The festival continues this week at Endler Hall with nightly concerts featuring world-class musicians. Concerts run from Monday to Thursday at 8:00 pm, with tickets from around R185.

🧀 Delheim Live Music & Cheese Fondue Evening – On Tuesday evening (7 July), enjoy live music paired with Delheim's famous cheese fondue and wine. A perfect winter night out.

♟️ African World Schools Team Chess Championship – Running 6–11 July, Stellenbosch is hosting the first African qualifier for the World Schools Team Chess Championship, bringing top young chess players from across the continent to town.

🚴 Scootours at Middelvlei – Looking for something outdoors? Scootours @ Middelvlei is operating throughout the week, offering scenic downhill scooter adventures through the vineyards.

🍷 Wine, Fireplaces & Winter Tastings – Many Stellenbosch wine estates are embracing winter with roaring fireplaces, red wine tastings and hearty lunches. If you're looking for a spontaneous afternoon out, it's hard to go wrong this time of year.

Can we all agree that Checkers Sixty60 is one of the greatest inventions of modern life?

Need milk? Tap. Bread? Tap. Ice cream because it's been a long day? Tap.

Twenty-five minutes later there's someone at your front door looking fitter than you've felt all week.

But there is one tiny flaw.

You don't actually want a R350 grocery shop.

You just want a lettuce.

Maybe a cucumber.

Perhaps a tomato if you're feeling extravagant.

So you start playing the world's strangest shopping game.

A bag of chips... just to get closer.

Toilet paper... because you'll need it eventually.

A six-pack of sparkling water... why not?

Some chocolate... purely to support the local economy.

Finally... R352.

Success.

You proudly hit "Place Order", already imagining tonight's salad.

Then the notification arrives.

"Unfortunately, the following items were unavailable..."

Lettuce.

Cucumber.

Tomatoes.

In other words... the only reason you opened the app.

Twenty minutes later you're standing in your kitchen holding 24 toilet rolls, three packets of chips, two litres of sparkling water and a family-sized chocolate slab... wondering where your healthy lifestyle went so horribly wrong.

At that point, you may as well order a pizza.

There's a saying that goes something like this:

"If you're invited into someone's home and all you notice is the dust on the shelves, perhaps you shouldn't go back. Not because of the dust, but because you completely missed the gift of being welcomed in."

It's a reminder of how easily our minds drift towards criticism.

Someone can spend hours preparing a meal, opening their home, making you feel welcome, and yet all we remember is the one thing that wasn't perfect.

The same happens in everyday life.

We notice mistakes before effort. Flaws before kindness. What someone lacks before what they generously gave.

The truth is, what we choose to look for shapes the world we experience.

If you spend your life searching for dust, you'll find it everywhere.

But if you start looking for generosity, courage, love, hard work and good intentions, you'll begin to see those everywhere too.

Today, pay attention to what your mind notices first. It might reveal far more about you than the people around you.

🌤️ Monday – A Proper Winter Winner
A beautiful day to kick off the week. Expect plenty of sunshine with a high of 20°C and a cool morning around 10°C. If you've been waiting for an excuse to finally wash the car... this is probably it.

🌥️ Tuesday – More Clouds, Still Pleasant
A few more clouds drift in, but it stays dry and comfortable with a high of 20°C and a low of 11°C. One of those days where you'll start with a jersey and wonder why you bothered by lunchtime.

🌤️ Wednesday – Calm Before The Next Change
Another mild winter's day with a mix of sunshine and cloud. Expect a high of 19°C and a low of 11°C. Enjoy it while it lasts... cooler, breezier weather is expected later in the week.

As always, thanks for reading. If you spot something in town worth knowing, reply and tell us. Half the best Stellenbosch stories begin that way.

See you around town,
Stellenbosch Brief

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