Cape Town - Last weekend was by far the quietest one I have had in Riebeek Kasteel.
Normally it’s a booze fest from beginning to end interspersed with feeding, and restorative naps.
You can do that there because it’s such lovely tiny village that you can find a place to stay, park your car, and walk everywhere. No drinking and driving.
This time, however, I sneaked in and out before hardly anyone noticed. That small town vibe usually results in strangers greeting you by name in Pick n Pay on the first morning, and by that evening you’re being invited around to their place for drinks. Riebeek is very friendly like that, and it’s wonderful.
As I crested the pass which descends into the valley – spread out below prettier than any postcard – I hooked a quick left to Kloovenburg for an olive and wine tasting.
The estate not only produces a huge range of olive products to eat – oils, tapenades, chutneys, salsas, salt, jams, caviar, as well as black and green olives in various guises – but for the body as well.
There are foot scrubs, lotions, handwashes, lip balms, soaps, shower gels, butters, and more. It’s quite remarkable, and I’m a sucker for the lovely packaging.
These body products are to be found in the bathrooms at the nearby Kloovenburg Pastorie, a beautifully restored house (once an NGK parsonage) with one suite with its own private lounge.
For guests in the other three en-suite bedrooms there is a communal lounge/dining room, and a kitchen. The front veranda stretches the length of the house and offers a glorious view of the valley and the village nestled below, and out back there’s a swimming pool. If you’re feeling mildly energetic you can amble through the vineyards, and if you are so inclined, there’s a path that leads to a proper hiking trail up the Kasteelberg. I was more in the mood for a glass of wine. No surprise there.
Being on the main road, there’s quite a bit of passing traffic (trucks too) but inside the house, and definitely in the back garden, you barely hear it at all. Must be those thick walls and glass they used in the old days, helped along by thick curtains.
Once you check in at the Pastorie, they give you a bunch of keys, and remote control and alarm buttons and leave you to it. This is rather nice, whether you’re sharing the accommodation with friends (or strangers) or even on your own. I liked having the run of the whole place, and pretended it was my dream home, very tastefully decorated. Obviously I’d have a different kitchen, but I was eating down in the village at Mama Cucina anyway, so that was sorted.
There is no breakfast included – rusks and biscotti in the refreshment cupboard though – so pack a sarmie or a pastry for the morning coffee. If you get up early enough, the sunrise is so beautiful – an orange smudge painted across the horizon slowly fades as the sky lightens from an incredibly intense blue-black to a pale washed-out sunbaked hue, and Venus winks out of sight.
l For inquiries and bookings call Kloovenburg Wine & Olive Estate on 022 448 1635 or e-mail [email protected]
Christmas shop at market day in Riebeek Kasteel
It’s never too early to start planning these things.
The Kloovenburg Wine & Olive Christmas Market Day is on December 5 from 9.30am till 3pm.
It’s a showcase of produce from the Riebeek Valley and surrounding areas where you’ll be able to taste and buy all in one convenient location.
The estate will be transformed into a festive carnival of stalls, including a variety of quality cured meats, gourmet steak rolls and pizzas, imported cheeses, sweet and savoury waffles, biscuits and cupcakes.
There will be a selection of local metal works and jewellery as well as indigenous plant stalls to browse, and the host’s festive season hampers which include products from its luxury body product range, olives and olive oils, and the estate’s wines.
Weekend Argus