Did you know you could go water tasting? Much like wine or coffee tasting, this unique sensory experience invites you to explore the subtle flavours, textures and aromas of waters sourced from around the world — without any alcohol.
At The Library: Fine Water Tasting Room at Lanzerac in Stellenbosch, guests can experience the world’s first dedicated water tasting room.
Guided by water sommelier Nico Pieterse, visitors embark on an enlightening 45-minute journey into the world of fine water.
The experience costs R295 per person and allows tasters to sip, evaluate and compare waters from pristine natural springs, exotic watersheds and even urban tap water, discovering how mineral content, filtration methods and origin influence the taste.
“Water tastings are more than an event —they’re an invitation to rethink water’s role in our lives. By celebrating its complexity, these experiences elevate water from an everyday necessity to a luxurious, sensory delight,“ said the Fine Water Company.
Much like a wine tasting experience, participants observe the clarity, colour and presentation of the water. They inhale its aromas and evaluate the mouthfeel, which is whether it’s light, smooth or full-bodied.
Tasters learn techniques to sip water slowly, allowing it to linger on the tongue and cleanse the palate between samples with neutral water or mild snacks.
The sommelier also explains the origins and compositions of each water tasting, highlighting their impact on health, hydration and wellness.
Guests sample waters from around the globe, including:
- d’ORO (Romania) – Mineral-rich spring water from the Carpathian Mountains, naturally infused with colloidal gold and silver.
- Marzia (Italy) – Velvety mineral water from Tuscany’s historic Sant’Elena spring.
- VEEN (Bhutan/Finland) – Smooth spring water from Finnish Lapland’s Arctic wilderness.
- Nevas (Germany) – Luxurious, high-TDS sparkling water with champagne-inspired elegance. A single 3-liter bottle is priced at $180.99 (R3,079), with smaller variations costing upwards of $64 (R1,089). Nevas received a gold medal for its curated water at the 2019 Taste & Design Awards.
- Three Bays (Australia) – Artesian spring water from a 600-million-year-old aquifer.
- Gaisberg (Austria) – Bottled by hand on Salzburg’s iconic Gaisberg mountain.
- Sant Aniol (Spain) – Sparkling volcanic water rich in minerals like calcium and bicarbonates.
- ROI (Slovenia) – One of the world’s richest magnesium waters, naturally carbonated.
- Wossa (Austria) – Low-TDS artisanal spring water with a soft, fresh taste.
- Lofoten (Norway) – Arctic mountain lake water, crisp and pristine.
Other options include Haanja, Haage, Bodh, La Sasse, Orezza, Vichy Catalan, Kuohu, Fromin, Tatranska Chamois, Pure One and more, each with a unique story, mineral profile and heritage.
Speaking at the launch, water sommelier, water steward, water judge and Fine Water Summit co-host Nico Pieterse said: “It’s great and it’s really cool to be the first in anything in the world. But it’s a big, big privilege. I’ve got Dr Michael Mascha here, all the way from Texas, who’s the ... I want to call him the authority on worldwide water, if I may. He’s the founder of the Fine Water Society and we’ve been going at it in shoots and in presentations and things over the past week.”
Mascha shared the story behind exploring different waters around the world: “Needless to say, 23 years ago, this was a very weird and unique story and we got a lot of pushback, but we are pushing the stone upwards slowly. We’ve managed to come to a place like this, and look where we are,” he said.
Fine Water says during the tasting you will get to:
- Discover hidden flavours: taste waters that reflect their geological journey.
- Appreciate water as an art form: see water as more than a beverage — as an experience.
- Educate yourself: learn the science of water, its health benefits, and sustainability.
- Elevate your palate: fine-tune your ability to detect subtle differences in taste and quality.
This article was first published in TimesLIVE.
