Travel | Stellenbosch Valley Part 1

I was part of a lucky bunch of travel and lifestyle bloggers who were invited to spend two days sampling the finest fares of the breathtaking Stellenbosch Valley. Too often when plotting a day out in the winelands, I head for the regular tourist spots and better-known wine farms. I forget about old gems and don't take the time to scout out new places to try. So it suits me very well to join in on these trips, because then when it is my turn to plan a day out, I look like a total pro/wine snob among my family and friends. And now I get to share these secret spots with you too!

We started our day at JC Le Roux - which is incredibly well known. But not for what it should be. You're probably thinking of sweet, sparkling wines from your youth and thats about it. But what you don't know is that they do one killer brunch, and that they have a range of MCC's that will knock your socks off. (For those who don't know this: MCC stands for Method Cap Classique and is what would be called Champagne if it were made in that region in France.)

 I went for the stacked french toast with bacon ice cream. Yes. Bacon ice cream. I have become a vegetarian since the new year, but looking back on 2015, I'd be lying if I didn't mention this as one of the best brunch meals of my life. The rest of the group swooned over their Eggs Benedict as well, so thats another option to try when I head back. With spinach of course.

We then went into the most beautiful private tasting room, via a very luxe looking bar area. We were then guided through the gorgeous range of bubbly by our wonderful host, and each MCC was paired with flavoured and stuffed olives of all sorts.

After we'd picked our favourites and made some purchases, we got to have a go at sabrage. Mike from the Life of Mike blog valiantly volunteered as tribute and thankfully did not decapitate himself or anyone else.

Next on our day-drinking adventure was Stellenbrau brewery. Not many people know this about me, but I love beer. It rivals wine in my opinion. Savage, I know. I thoroughly enjoy beer, and I thoroughly enjoy the confused and amused looks I get when this petite dork orders a pint of craft beer at the bar, instead of a spritzer.

The boys at Stellenbrau treated us to a brewery tour, followed by a tasting. I could quite happily set up my bed inside a brewery. I actually quite enjoy the smell of the hops brewing. I find it soothing for some reason. That sounds like something an alcoholic would say isn't it? Oh well.

I'd highly recommend a stopover at this place. It boasts a gorgeous setting, chilled vibe and great craft beer.

For a late lunch and another tasting we pulled in at Middelvlei Wine Estate. I was not expecting to have so much fun at this rustic family-run estate. But when we were divided into teams and charged with blending our own wine, I was delighted by the challenge! We huddled and schemed and used every beaker and pipette they'd supply us with (to look like we knew what we were doing obviously) and settled on the winning combination. We then labelled our wine with a number only and then it was put out for the teams and other patrons present to test an vote for the number they liked best. To be able to tell you that our team won might be one of the happiest announcements I've made on this blog. I am also deadly serious when I say that I am adding winemaker to my CV.

This incredibly entertaining afternoon ended with a good old fashioned bore braai, complete with homemade potato salad, braaibroodtjies and delicious wors and chops. Their mantra being that homemade, authentic boerekos is what they do best. They aren't interested in fancy. The folks at Middelvlei are all about simple, wholesome food and quality time spent with family and friends.

Finally it was time to relax after an incredibly tough day of eating and drinking. So we checked into our spectacular suites at Wedgeview and then made our way to their in-house spa for a massage.

My impression of Wedgeview shall be expressed in my best "Janice from Friends voice":

"OH. MY. GAAAAAWD!!! "

Let me break it down for you...

The location: Its nothing short of divine, with mountain and vineyard views for days. And for the adventurous, plenty of trail running/ mountain biking or for the less energetic (me), leisurely strolling to be done through the property. There is also a stunning pool area to cool down in during the warm summer months.

The spa:  It is just heavenly. With professional and lovely staff - its a cherry-on-top addition to an already wonderful place to relax in the winelands.

The accommodation: No expense has been spared to create luxurious suites with every amenity you could hope for. Everything about the room lends itself to relaxation and tranquility. Shelves were packed with books and the balcony begged to be used for reading next to a fresh cup of coffee in the morning, or for romantic sundowners with a glass of bubbly.

The staff: An interesting situation here. The place is Dutch owned (by a rather famous ex-cricket captain no less), and Dutch hotel students intern on rotation every few months. Dutch people are not ugly. With one staff member looking like a clone of Leonardo Di Caprio circa 2006, and the rest looking like yet-to-be discovered male models, the girls in our group and I were a mess. All I could muster was a goofy grin and I blushed my way through every interaction with one of them. Real smooth Leigh. Real smooth.

The food: As I mentioned before, it is Dutch owned. So cheese. Good cheese. Great cheese. Lots of amazing food featuring said cheese. Phenomenal brandy. A rich and delicious dinner accompanied by the above-mentioned interns playing the piano. Oh yes, the good looking interns play piano. Did I not mention that?

Wedge view was such a treat and I'll certainly be back again for a stay in the Stellenbosch Valley.



.

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.