.: Durbanville Wine Safari launch

Saturday, February 02, 2019

Durbanville Wine Safari launch

Trevor Gray of Golden Cape tours invited us to join him on a Full Moon Special event, to be held right on top of the Bloemendal Hill in Durbanville, where they have use of a special viewing deck. He works in conjunction with Cape Town Wine Safaris

We would see the sun set over the city and then experience the full moon rising over the Hottentots Holland Mountain

And it was on the night of the Wolf Moon. We were keen to go

We were transported from the V&A Waterfront in a Safari Vehicle which took a good non-motorway route and avoided most of the home going traffic in the early evening

We arrived at Bloemendal at 6.30, in the early evening light, to board a larger Safari vehicle which can climb the steep hill

Some people attending drove up in their 4x4s, which are essential. It is NOT open to the public

First we had a glass of chilled Durbanville Hills tank-fermented Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc, very refreshing and very welcome. Trevor and Cape Wine Safaris are going to run a route between 8 of the Durbanville wineries, You book, get on board and jump on and off as you please and they will deliver you back to town in the late afternoon

Trevor tells us some history of the Durbanville Wine Valley and the grapes. If you want to do this tour during the day, contact Trevor on Facebook @goldencapetours or Armand at Cape Wine Safaris

Exciting news is that the lease on the Bloemendal hillside restaurant has lapsed and it is being redeveloped by Bloemendal

It has one of the best positions in Cape Town but, sadly, the food provided by the lessees was not good

We last ate there in 2003 and have heard that there has been no improvement

We travelled far to the very top of the hill, where you see the radio masts

The Merlot grapes still have uneven ripeness but harvest is fast approaching and they will be picking as soon as they are ripe

Lynne sat in front with Armand, owner of Cape Wine Safaris

As we reached the view point at the top of the hill, we saw that the sun was about to set

Its rays were illuminating the Hottentots Holland Mountains in the far distance

And, after sunset, you could see the clouds rolling in across the bay

A view of Durbanville and the surrounding wine farms

We all stood on the deck and watched the sunset

The radio masts are right behind the deck and the planes landing at Cape Town Airport do fly right over this spot

when the wind is in the right direction

Trevor opened some good Durbanville wines and we chatted. First the Nitida 2017 Sauvignon Blanc, such a great expression of Durbanville Sauvignon terroir. The Bloemendal Suider Terras Sauvignon Blanc comes from the vineyard to the left of the viewing platform and these grapes are coveted by many local winemakers. It makes an elegant wine full of fig leaves and pyrazines, with minerality, good crisp fruit and salt on the end

The Durbanville Hills Merlot has good fruit and is so charming and friendly, with no bitter tannins and absolutely no mint. He also opened the Diemersdal Pinotage, a classic old style pinotage that will last 10 years and the De Grendel Shiraz, spicy with pepper, dry tannins and rich red berries