To celebrate the 4th of July, I took a Cape Wine Tour with 7 other international wine enthusiasts. There were two different group trip options. On one they reportedly hose down the van afterward, and on mine the goal is to learn a little something while sampling the winelands. I made sure the others from my hostel, Joanna, Sarah and my new roommate Pete, brought plenty of water and crackers. So, we were set for a day of fun!
Our trip covered three cape wine regions: Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl. It only took us about 40 minutes to reach the first stop in Stellenbosch, Villiera. Our tour guide had a true passion for wine and took us through the winery like a pro. We learned that the winery was started by two cousins (a grape grower and a winemaker). They were soon joined by another Grier family member who heads up the sales team. Sound familiar?
At Villiera they make both still wines and Method Cap Classic (champagne). We met the winemaker who was a character and a couple of local women working on the very small sparkling bottling line. My favorite of the wines we tasted in their traditional tasting room was a delicious Sav Blanc.
Next we were off to Simonsig, which was a lovely vineyard set on the rolling hillside of Simonsberg Mountain. This was an extra winery visit for our group because I showed our guide my Gallo recommendation list and asked to squeeze in another one. It was an exciting tour and our outdoor tasting began with a ceremonial "sabrage" where the top of a Cuvee Royale (Champagne) bottle was cut off with a sword! Apparently this is a Russian word for a French tradition. This and the other wines we tasted were fabulous, including a spectacular Syrah and a "Tiara" (LOVE the name), which is a blend of 4 of the 5 Bordeaux varietals.
Feeling no pain, we then drove around the town of Stellenbosch. Stellenbosch, called the Oak City because of all the magnificent trees, is dominated by a large university and some grand Dutch architecture. It was the perfect sunny day to take it all in.
Next, we headed over the mountain pass to Tokara. Tokara, a five year old winery, was started by a chef from Johannesburg. The winery is simply spectacular! The very modern building design featured the tasting room above the glass enclosed steel tanks. A beautiful restaurant was down below, but alas was not open for lunch.
The name Tokara is not yet licensed and the wines produced there are called "Zondernaam." Zondernaam translates to "has no name" and was found on an old map of the original farm. My favorite was an 04 Zondernaam Chenin Blanc. It was sunshine in a glass!
It was now definitely time for lunch. We stopped at a farm for a hearty lunch and more toasting. Then it was on into the valley of Franschhoek. The village of Franschhoek was splendid. I wish I had a night to spend in one of the many quest houses. It's no wonder why this is such a popular weekend get-a-way spot from Cape Town. We stopped at an adorable chocolate factory and the French Huguenot Monument to take in the scenic views. None of us wanted to leave Franschhoek, but the next winery sounded great and more food waited.
Next we visited the Fairview winery located on the southwest slopes of Paarl Mountain. This fourth generation winery is currently run by a colorful character, Charles Back. The vineyards look like perfectly combed carpets on the hill side and the estate has old world charm. They have a gourmet shop, bakery, restaurant and a bunch of peacocks running loose on the grounds! Spectacular cheese tastings are their specialty. In addition to some tasty single vineyards, Pinotage Blends, and Spice Route wines, they also produce a very fun line called "Goats do Roam." Apparently there was some mischief and the goats on the estate were let loose in the vineyard. They found that the goats had good palates and created a special blend from the grapes they ate that day. There was a great controversy with the name, which turned into a PR dream judging by the framed placements!
A fun day was had by all! I felt right at home in the Cape Winelands with the many tour options, good areas maps, formal public tasting rooms and supporting accommodation/restaurant options. This was a very different experience than my trip to Mendoza. Argentina's wine region is like a diamond in the rough by comparison. Cheers!
No comments:
Post a Comment