An invitation to join Douglas Swanson on his Farm Tour of De Grendel wine estate in Durbanville was rapidly accepted
The farm has a vintage safari vehicle known as the Green Monster. The rates are very reasonable and if you are feeling the need of some down time, you can even do it with a picnic basket and be dropped of on the lawn to enjoy it. Tours are Wednesday to Sunday. If you are interested in doing a tour and/or picnic basket contact Douglas at douglas@degrendel.co.za or +27 83 326 9990
The 'Green Monster', a 1987 Toyota Land Cruiser, is well sprung and there are good views from it
On the day that we went, Cape Town was blanketed in thick fog,
so the usually superb view of Table Mountain was a little obscured, but the fog did burn off as the morning wore on
You start at the Tasting Room where you can sit and enjoy the views here, while sipping De Grendel wines
or enjoying a meal at the restaurant under the experienced hands of Chef Ian Bergh
Off we go
Douglas gave us a very good history of the estate and the de Villiers Graaff family
as we travelled around the property
Through the vineyards, which had just finished their harvest
Later, in the tasting room, you can do a wine tasting
The tour will give you some understanding of how the terroir affects the wines
Lots of information about the vines on these signs
De Grendel has a zero carbon policy and keeps the farm clean and tidy
A view of the buildings which house the wine cellar, tasting room and restaurant
A small chapel on the farm
which is used by the de Villiers Graaff family and the estate staff
The founder of the estate and subsequent de Villiers Graaff family members are buried here
Douglas knows that we are interested in birds and wanted to point out their resident Fish Eagles which have a nest here
We were lucky enough to see one sitting on its favourite branch
And then we saw the large nest in the fork of a tree which, apparently, has been in use for several generations
Sir David Graaff, 1st Baronet, originally bought the land for Arabian horses which he imported in 1889 from Argentina
and moved to De Grendel. There are still a few horses on the farm, but these are rescued horses
from a charity which organised riding for the disabled but lost its land
The manor house can be seen in the distance
The family prefers to keep it private
There are many different areas on the estate
This is where they grow blueberries under cloth
Bee hives for harvesting honey
and they have a bank of solar panels which produces 5.6 megawatts of power
Water tanks for the farm. A necessity in the Cape after our awful recent drought
Global warming is a fact here, not a rumour
The water can be pumped around the farm
We had no idea that it was lambing season and it was a delight to see the young lambs
Apparently they have two lambings, now in autumn and again in Spring. Twins for this mother
Feeding time, a classic picture
And then we entered the area where the antelopes are kept
These are very handsome Red hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus caama)
A view of work going on in the autumnal vineyards on the Tygerberg Hill
A small herd of magnificent Eland (Taurotragus oryx), the world's largest antelope
Don’t mess with me!
Two by two
Apparently, they have become used to the vehicle
and don’t flee when Douglas drives through the reserve, so good photography is possible
John has so many great photos, but we can’t put them all here
The farm used to have a large dairy herd, but is now down to just a few animals
which provide milk for the farm’s employees
Suddenly we spotted a male and a female dikkop and their chick in the scrub by the side of the track. Not often seen. So well hidden and standing stock still. The chick is well-camouflaged and is just beyond its parents. Look for the eye. The spotted thick-knee (Burhinus capensis), also known as the spotted dikkop or Cape thick-knee, is a wader in the family Burhinidae. It is native to central and southern Africa
The mist was lifting and we could begin to see the peak of Lion’s Head appearing, the mountain behind our house
The award-winning De Grendel Koetshuis Sauvignon Blanc is named for these stables built by Sir David Graaff in 1891
This was previously the entry to the farm. They have been turned into accommodation for visiting guests
It is thought that the name de Grendel, which is Dutch, meaning a latch or bolt, was given because the Tygerberg hill behind was easier to travel over for the incoming country farm ox-wagons entering the Cape from the hinterland. They didn’t want to take the sandy roads on either side of the hill, where they might get stuck
We arrived back after a very informative and interesting tour, which took about an hour
Into the tasting room to taste some of de Grendel’s fine wines,
made by renowned cellarmaster Charles Hopkins and his team
We were especially keen to taste the newly released Koetshuis Sauvignon Blanc because we had recently bought a case. It is one of the few wines we will buy without first tasting it, knowing that the quality is always excellent. And it is a very fine example of a crisp and layered Sauvignon Blanc with a soupcon of Semillon. From vineyards in Lutzville and Darling, plus a small batch of Semillon from De Grendel. It has classic fig leaf aromas and a whiff of smoke. Flavours of green winter melon, crisp greengage, capsicum and roundness from the Semillon, it calls for food. They have it on special at the moment for Club Members and as it often sells out quickly, we recommend you go soon to taste and buy
The tasting sheet, with options and prices
Cap Classique Brut 2017 was a lovely way to begin our tasting. Brioche on the nose, then fresh citrus and Granny Smith apple. A classic blend of 68% Chardonnay and 32% Pinot Noir, there is a good prickle on the mousse. First, zesty green apple top notes, then a slight sweetness from the red raspberry fruit of the Pinot. This has won many awards
The maiden Cap Classique Proposal Hill Cap Classique Brut Rosé 2016 is made from 100% Pinot Noir
It has a lovely perfume, is biscuity on the nose and palate with good red berry flavours and a nice mousse,
with pomegranate appearing on the end
We went on to taste the 2020 Viognier, and it is the best viognier we have tasted anywhere in a long time
Honey, apricot and peaches on the nose and on the palate richness and depth with peaches, apricots and crisp citrus,
the sweetness is more of a perception from the ripeness of the fruit flavours. R/s is 4.2
The Rosé is made from 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Pinotage,
a summery rosé, lovely fruit, light at first then depth of fruit from the Pinotage
The Op die Berg Pinot Noir from Cederberg has been given some carbonic maceration,
so it has inherited some Beaujolais character
The 2018 Shiraz has dark fruit, black pepper and spice. Blackberries, cassis richness on the palate
It’s very enthusiastic and a lovely winter quaffing wine, as its flavours remain, with spice on the end
Both US and French oak make this a special wine
And we finished on the best wine of all, the flagship 2016 Rubaiyat; a Bordeaux style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. The wine has supple, dive-in fruit, complex enough not to want to examine each grape variety, as they have melded into a classic. Silky soft with good chalky tannins on the end. It is drinking so well now but can still be cellared for years. BUY!
Thank you Douglas, and all at de Grendel too, for a great experience
