The Classics: Winelands
Usually Monday is that one day of the week that one dreads, right? Not mine! I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to go on a Winelands Tour with Hylton Ross and to start my week by exploring the beautiful Cape Winelands area.
I was collected by a very entertaining and informative guide (Grant) in Cape Town’s CBD from where we made our way to our first stop in Stellenbosch for a brief walkabout through the area. This little town was filled to the brim with a vibrancy and buzz of activity that never failed to stun me into awestruck wonder. This was a lovely walking point to the beginning of our tour! Once we had our fill of this breath-taking town we made our way to our first wine estate of the day, Remhoogte Wine Estate. There we had four amazing tastings of the wines they have on offer. With endless green views and a calm environment, you would have been forgiven for thinking we were hours out of the city on a little country farm and not 10 minutes from the Stellenbosch main road.
Next stop - Anura, the more commercial and very well distinguished wine brand. At this ‘very young’ wine farm we had our fill of delicious wines along with a selection of cheeses, jams and crackers! It was D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S! It was truly some of the best locally-made cheeses and jams I’ve ever had. My colleague, who is by no means a lover of cheese, couldn’t get enough of it. Spoiling us a little, Anura took us on a tour of the cellar and through the wine-making process. Having the option to do a cellar tour is always a delight but seeing the grapes first hand and learning about the process before it goes through before being pressed into the wine was something I personally really enjoyed.
By then, we had to take a lunch break. We enjoyed lunch on a sidewalk café called Café Franschhoek, their menu went on for miles with options that made you constantly second guess if you chose the right dish! I ended up taking the Franschhoek Burger which was the perfect addition to an already lovely day of tastes and experiences.
As our day came to a close, we made one last stop at Eikehof. Now this place was interesting. Here the chickens ran wild and free between your legs and the endless vineyard right at the end of the green grassy pasture made you want to stay and leisurely sip your wine for hours. This was the perfect end to a wildly enjoyable day and definitely a location that needs to be revisited. As we made our way back from the calm of the Winelands to the hustle and bustle of the city, I was left reminiscing on the events of the day and thought that this tour is needed in every clients’ itinerary just to have a sense of calm in what might be an activity packed holiday.
