Today was a WONDERFUL day. It started with an amazing breakfast at my guest house in Franschhoek (see previous posting for today). We then drove to Stellenbosch, a small city about 20 miles away, where we got on the bus for our 5 hour wine tour. In this time, we visited 4 wine estates, tasted 21 types of wine (wow!), had lunch, and a cheese tasting.
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| At an estate; you can see the vineyards & mountains in the distance. |
Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, 90 miles from Cape Town, are both known for their wine estates; Stellenbosch was settled by the Dutch, and Franschhoek by the French Hugeunots, in the 17th century. Most of the Hugeunots returned when their persecution ended in France in the 18th century, but French names abound in the village. The terrain is Mediterranean: hot, dry summers, but perfect for growing grapes and olive trees. We have also seen many fruit orchards/espalliered fields: apples, peaches, apricots. Commanding the whole view, though, are incredible mountains, with craggy peaks - it's a breathtaking sight to have the mountains in the near distance and the fields of vineyards running up the lower sides of the mountains. Temperatures today were in the 80's, with a strong breeze.
Gabriel, our driver and guide, was knowledgeable, and had picked out the wines he recommended for us at each estate, but we were free to actually taste any that were available at each estate. We started our tour with a lesson in how to "taste" a wine; this was informative for me, as in the past I have usually just sipped it down! No, no - you are to swirl it first, then tip the glass to get the "nose" of the wine; then swirl it around in your mouth so all of your taste buds can experience it, and, finally, swallow it for the "finish."
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| Typical tasting room; this one at Fairview, Stellanbosch |
Besides the lesson, I learned today that I actually like some red wines... in the past, I've always wimped out, sticking to whites and roses. The Stellenbosch/ Franschhoek area specializes in a red grape called the "Pinotage" ( a cross between a Pinot Noir and Hermitage), and I liked some of the wines, especially the blended ones. Nonetheless, my favorites were still the chardonnays which had been aged a little in oak, a Gewürztraminer, and one champagne. My companions were all red wine afficianados. And, although we had 21 opportunities to taste different wines, I did not taste 21 - after a while, I just couldn't do it! (I almost forgot to mention that at one estate, I purchased a small dark chocolate bar with pink peppercorns, which we enjoyed with the red wines.. a nice break from simply tasting wine after wine!)
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| Garden in the foreground; vineyards in the back |
The wine estates were also all in beautiful settings, with amazing architecture and world class restaurants, to attract the wealthy tourists and South Africans. Art on the walls....friendly pourers... modern logos... beautiful gardens around the buildings... all combined to make a memorable experience.
We also had a "cheese tasting", which consisted mostly of goat cheeses - my favorite was a soft cream cheese with "Chakalaka" spices - I'm really appreciating the Malaysian-influenced South African spices here!
When the wine tour was over, we spent some time walking around Stellenbosch, a charming city with a large university. I took a few pictures of the architecture. Having eaten our way through the day, we returned to our homes with no dinner - but I did purchase a Ginger Beer (yum, tastes like ginger root), and had a small amount of cheese and a mini-baguette to take home for a light snack at my guest house. I also spent a little time walking around my little touristy village, taking in the architecture there.
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| Typical Dutch architecture - Stellenbosch |
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| School-turned-museum, Dutch architecture, Stellenbosch |
Tomorrow our plans are uncertain, but I know in the late afternoon we are going to try to hike up part of one of the mountains here. All of the terrain is exposed (no trees!), so we have to do it either in early morning or late afternoon. One more day in this area, and this part of the adventure will end!
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