Elgin Blossom Weekend. Galileo Farm, Highlands Road Estate

While we were in Elgin for the Chardonnay Colloquium and the Elgin Blossom Weekend, Cath Boome,

the Executive Head of Elgin Grabouw Tourism had kindly organised for us to stay over at Galileo Farm in one of their cottages

The orchards on the farm were in full blossom, both pear and apple

We were given Lemon Cottage for the night

A huge, very comfortable room with an enormous bed, a separate bathroom and a small self catering area; with a table to eat or work at and good WiFi. Good linen, a comfortable bed and it was nice and warm despite Elgin being a little chilly at night

The bathroom also has a large walk in shower

To book, contact Lisa Beaumont at bookings@galileofarm.co.za

We got up after a good sleep and went through to the Elgin Railway Market to buy some of their good vegetables and we also popped in to the Peregrine Farm Stall to buy some of their famous Venison pies for our freezer and for dinner later that week

The market cat is tiny and very, very sweet. She loves gentle strokes and didn’t mind at all the buzzing beehive exhibit

which was being demonstrated behind her

Then to Highlands Road, where winemaker Vanessa Simkiss had invited us to visit and taste some of her award winning wines

We loved the Chardonnay when we tasted it at the Colloquium the previous day

It has won many awards and gained two major ones this week - Veritas double gold and top 10 at the Prescient awards

The Sine Cera blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc is one of our best blends, one to buy, treasure and drink with special food

which it so enhances. Crisp and green with herbaceous notes, full of citrus fruit and lanolin mouthfeel, a classy wine

Owner Michael White was there and we chatted with him and Jacqueline Lahoud

Lynne learning about the wine and the winemaker

The Semillon is dusty, grassy with loquats and yellow fruit on the nose and very elegant, generous on the palate

with limes, lemon, crisp but not acidic, another major food wine

The enjoyable 2014 Pinot Noir has a very pretty nose with raspberry and strawberry, incense wood

In the style of Gevrey Chambertin on the palate, delicate initially then it opens out

with sweet raspberry fruit and lots of depth and length; you cannot put this glass down

For the Blossom Weekend, Vanessa was cooking stir fried Calamari and large prawns in the Skottel Braai

She uses a prego sauce and is a dab hand at this

Very skilled and they were delicious

We shared a bowl and got nice and involved and covered in sauce. It went so well with the 2015 Shiraz with incense wood and lovely spicy red berry fruit with notes of amaretto. A blend of dark black and morello cherry fruit and black pepper on the end

A view over the Highlands Road dam

Nymphoides thunbergiana, Small Yellow Waterlily, Geelwaterlelie, not really a true waterlily,

but prolific and good for small or large areas of water

Other guests arriving for a tasting and some lunch

They had pre-ordered this superb meat and cheese platter with pickles, chutney, fruit, olives and peppers

So relaxing to sit outside and taste the wines and soak in a Sunday in the sun. Thank you Highlands Road

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