A juvenile Rock Kestrel (falco rupicolus) grooming its tail
Telling you
about beautiful places, special people and wonderful wines seems to be a bit
lightweight when the world appears to be tottering at the edge of a precipice,
fuel prices are rocketing and life is on the verge of becoming a lot more
expensive. But, perhaps, we need a bit of levity amid the gloom, so here are
some stories about some great experiences we have had and we hope that you’ll
enjoy them
Tasting her wines with Catherine Marshall
What a wonderful way to spend a morning in the winelands; we were in for one of the best wine tastings we have had for a very long time. While we were in Stellenbosch and Helderberg for the weekend we made appointments and plans to visit four wine farms. The first was to see Catherine Marshall at her winery at the Lavinia farm, Polkadraai Road. We have known Catherine for a long time and have always been a fan of her detailed, professional and beautiful wines and have not had a chance to taste them for quite a long time due to Covid lock downs. We could not wait to see what gems she has been producing. We were not disappointed; we had a marvellous tasting with her. Read on…
The Gardens at Vergelegen
We were invited to Vergelegen for a tasting of aged wines
and parked quite far away, but the long walk allowed us to enjoy the beautiful
Vergelegen gardens, modern and historic. This is the entrance to the Stables
Restaurant and Wine Tasting Centre through the Sundial Garden. Read on…
Cape Vintners Classification Summer Soirée at Vergelegen
An invitation to the Cape Vintners Classification Summer
Soirée at Vergelegen had us raring to go; the first proper, organised wine
tasting with our peers to be held since the end of lock down. It was an
opportunity to walk around the tables of the different wine farms and taste
some of the best vintage wines from their cellars. Who could resist, especially
when the wine farms involved included some of the very best in our industry: Almenkerk,
Anthonij Rupert, De Morgenzon, De Wetshof, Diemersdal, Kanonkop, Morgenster,
Vergelegen, Waterford and Wildekrans. It was held from 4 till 7 pm on a Friday
evening, so we booked overnight accommodation in the area, so that we didn’t
have to drive back to Cape Town afterwards. Read on…
Overnight in Gordon's Bay
When we are invited to functions that go on into the
evening, we try to find affordable accommodation, so that we can stay
overnight. We hate driving back at night on the N2 or N1. This time, the event
was at Vergelegen and the closest accommodation we could afford was in Gordon’s
Bay. And it turned out to be a good find. A small but "beautifully
appointed" (estate agent speak!) apartment, just a short drive from the seafront
in a quiet residential street.
Read on…
A Visit to Waterkloof Estate
Which wine farms to visit when you are in the Somerset West
Helderberg area on a Saturday morning? It had been rather a long time since we
visited Waterkloof, so they were top our list. There have been some changes;
Covid has been tough and the excellent restaurant has closed. Its Chef, Gregory
Czarnecki is now judging the SA Masterchef television competition. Read on…
Wines, Olives and Oil at Morgenster
What a lovely way to spend an afternoon. The previous
afternoon, at the CVC tasting at neighbouring Vergelegen, we spoke to the
Morgenster tasting room manager, James Burnham-King, who invited us to visit
and taste the estate's olive products and wines. Italian entrepreneur Giulio
Bertrand bought Morgenster in 1992 from the owners of Vergelegen, restored the
farm and brought olives from Italy. He planted the first vines in 1995. The
olives and oils have achieved great respect, as have the wines, and, after he
died in 2019, his family has continued running the estate. Read on… 1st March 2022
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