Travel | Discovering Helderberg

Just before we left for Bali I got whisked off with a group of top local bloggers for a little jaunt in the Helderberg winelands. Our itinerary was jam packed. Two days of jetting between wine farms, sampling everything they had to offer. It was tough, but someone had to do it. And for my dearest  readers, and also because day-drinking is fun, I found myself enjoying some of the Helderberg's finest tipple at 9am. As one does.

DAY ONE

Our first stop was Peter Faulke wines. Owned by the same guy who has a worldwide sock empire, there has been no pen spared in the layout of this farm. From the ornate and beautiful bar area inside, to the fabulous patio area overlooking the vineyards. They claim bragging rights to being the only farm open until 7pm which makes them a perfect spot to go for sundowners or to end off a day of wine tasting. Their cheese and charcuterie platters are second to none and a perfect compliment to a beautiful sunset and some fabulous wines. Their Blanc de Noir was a firm favourite with the group and perfect for the coming summer.

Next up we visited Longridge. This farm is incredibly impressive in that it manages to use almost everything and produce no waste. From their vineyards to their veggie gardens, they are very focused on all-natural methods. They even have some Nguni cows grazing in the vineyards. So they packed us city kids into the back of a tractor to take a tour. I loved every second until I was coerced into dodging cows and their mounds of cow poop for a photo op (side-eyes in your direction Natalie. You can see the results of her efforts here).
Back at the ranch, or cellar should I say, we were treated to a food and wine pairing - which for R65 is a bargain. It was the best combination of sweets and savouries and made for a wonderful afternoon of learning about the Longridge wines. I ended up walking away with a case of their Emily Chardonnay Pinot Noir - it is definitely my choice for some "summer water" this year.

Avontuur was our last wine farm on the agenda for Day One. I am actually pretty familiar with the farm as my family is quite into horse racing and Avontuur owners, The Taberer family, are one of the biggest names in the game with their champion stallion Var. If Var was able to rap, he'd be banging out 50Cent's "Have a baby by me, baby, be a millionaire" all day long. And he wouldn't even be joking.

We got a tour of the paddocks and met a few foals. When asked if we wanted to climb in to say hello, like the daddy's girl I am, I jumped at the chance. My dad and I seem to have the part of our brains missing that logically see horses as somewhat dangerous, and we are always climbing into paddocks to go and give them a pat and a kiss on the nose.

After playing in the paddocks, we were treated to a tasting with winemaker-in-chief, Jan Van Rooyen, who had spent much of his day learning blogger jargon and gave us a good giggle by throwing in as many references to our digital world as he could. My favourite of the Avontuur stable was the bubbly (see what I did there? Stable? Geddit?). Crisp and delicious. Could bathe in the stuff.

We arrived after dark at Country Guesthouse, which was our digs for the night and their restaurant on the property is the well-known 96 Winery Road. I loved my countryside style cottage with a killer view of Table Mountain and patio looking over the farm.
I was so hungry by dinnertime, thanks to all that vino, that I didn't snap many photos. But you'll need to try out 96 Winery Road for yourself. Think hearty meals of perfectly done steak and juicy burgers. Or a satisfying risotto. And the pork belly....oh the pork belly.
It is the type of place I would bring my dad/brother/husband to because the portions are man-size and the prices are reasonable (even cheap by city standards). The vibe is relaxed and the service is friendly. I'll definitely be back with the family for some comfort food and great wine.

DAY TWO

We got cracking early and after shovelling down a fantastic breakfast of french toast at the guesthouse, we moved on to Ken Forrester vineyards. The weather was quite gloomy so we sat inside the cellar. I actually love being surrounded by the barrels and the smells of a cellar when wine tasting. It feels so authentic and intimate. Which it certainly turned out to be, as Mr Ken Forrester himself showed up and joined us. Along with the family dogs. It was by far the most wonderful setting I've been lucky enough to find myself in. Having the owner of the farm passionately tell you about each wine, the farm and upcoming projects, as well as personal anecdotes. It made for a very special experience. I loved the wines, but I got very excited when he produced a plate of Waygu biltong. I hopped straight up and dashed to the till to buy a packet or 3 to take home. It was THE best biltong I have ever had.

Waterkloof was our next stop. We were taken on a tour of the vineyards and got a very in-depth lesson in bio-dynamic farming. The farm is very big into using what nature gave them and they have immense respect for the land they work on and the surrounding area. The fynbos surrounding the vineyards makes for a photographers dream. Every angle is postcard perfect.
What you really want to go to Waterkloof for though, is that restaurant. Encased in glass and sitting atop a hill so that you don't miss a drop of that view, you are treated to a feast to they eyes and tastebuds. French inspired (due to a rather dashing French chef), every dish was a work of art. It is pricey, but a must-try in the winelands and perfect for a celebration. I'll be back for a special occasion for sure.

Our last stop on our tour was Lourensford. I had been looking forward to this one the most because I am a giant child and was really looking forward to getting sweets with my wine. We did the turkish delight wine pairing and it was every bit as fabulous as I'd hoped. I also discovered that Lourensford now roasts coffee, makes chocolate, has a weekend market and a brewery on the farm. So basically you'd need a weekend just exploring all of those.

Photo by Natalie Roos, Tales of  Mermaid

It was a great two days where I met some fantastic humans. Our little group of dorks actually gelled so well that we're doing another tour next week! So keep your eyes on the blog for another look into what you can get up to just 40 mins away from the mother city.