Stellenbosch makes me happy, and not just because of the wine, although that is a very big part of it.
The Stellenbosch wine route was established in 1971 by Neil Joubert of Spier, Frans Malan of Simonsig and Spatz Sperling of Delheim. Forty years later, there are more than 150 wineries among its members so you could easily spend an entire month there and still not get through all of them.
When planning your trip, it’s best to pick out farms that are relatively close to each other, and don’t attempt more than four a day. A leisurely tasting can take up to an hour, and you will want to fit in a nice lunch too, so why rush things? No less than four of this year’s Eat Out top 10 restaurants are in Stellenbosch, including the number one, Rust en Vrede (021 881 3881) where David Higgs is the publication’s chef of the year, and for good reason.
The others are newcomer Jordan (021 881 3612), chef George Jardine’s new baby; Overture (021 880 2721) where maverick chef Bertus Basson works his magic; and repeat winner Terroir (021 880 8167) on the Klein Zalze estate, helmed by chef Michael Broughton. Another notable restaurant, not on a wine farm but in the historical heart of the town in Dorp Street, is The Big Easy, owned by Ernie Els. He’s a golfer, you may have heard of him.
All of the above are blessed with beautiful locations, which is not hard in Stellenbosch, which is breathtakingly lovely. Hence my happiness.
While it is best known for its wines, Stellenbosch does have a few other things to offer. It’s a university town, with several museums and buildings dating back to the 18th century. To fully explore its heritage, make your first stop the Tourism Information Bureau in Market Street (021 883 3584). The staff are very helpful, give good directions along with a map and a comprehensive brochure with all the interesting things to do and a directory of those all-important wine farms.
In this brochure, I discovered there is a Clock Route, including one which has been declared a national monument but because I had been eating and drinking all day, there was no time (har har). I would definitely recommend a visit to the botanical garden.
It, like most things, is attached to the university as a research garden. Entrance is free, and it’s tiny in comparison to Kirstenbosch, or even some homes in Constantia or Bishopscourt for that matter, but it is truly beautiful, a lush jungle oasis with soothing water features and plenty of strategically placed benches.
Other activities in the area include strawberry picking, an arts and craft route, walking tours, a brandy route, nature reserves, and all sorts of wildlife facilities featuring monkeys, lions, giraffes, crocodiles and butterflies.
One such place is Spier, which has its famous Cheetah Outreach (www.cheetah.co.za) which promotes the cause of this endangered species through on-on-one interactions with the animals, and Eagle Encounters (www.eagle-encounters.co.za), a bird-of-prey rehabilitation, conservation, education and eco-tourism project. Spier, where you could quite easily spend an entire day, is dedicated to all sorts of wonderful things like art projects, conservation, biodynamic farming, recycling, sustainable development, job creation and upliftment.
The estate itself has enormous historical significance going back as far as 1692. There is a hotel, you can go horse riding in the vineyards or glide around on a Segway, have a massage at the spa, pick up goodies from the deli for a lake picnic or have a pseudo-African experience at Moyo.
It’s very touristy, and pretty if you have a table up in the trees, but it’s not my favourite thing at Spier. What I do like is the “new” restaurant Eight, with its name being an expression of balance, cycles, harmony, infinity and abundance.
It’s been open a year and in keeping with Spier’s ethos, most of the fresh, natural and organic produce used is grown either on Spier or sourced from nearby farmers.
My friend Justin Bonello, of television series Cooked, would have been so proud of me when I asked about the origin of the pork belly. Turns out they come from Oak Valley in Elgin, where the pigs eat acorns.
The calm and airy restaurant serves brunch and lunch daily. We shared vegetable fritters to start, which were served with salsas and a delicious and colourful salad. The pork belly was not over-sold as the best I would ever eat… sticky and tender, with caramelised apples and apple sorbet. This organic lark has something going for it; there really is much more flavour in the food, and their freshly squeezed juices are amazing.
For more information on Spier and all its activities call 021 809 1100, e-mail info@spier.co.za or go to www.spier.co.za
With the sheer number of wine farms and estates in Stellenbosch there is always something new to try.
I had begun the day with a wine and chocolate tasting at Waterford, where I had never been before. It’s very easy to find as long as you don’t follow the dirt road like I did, but turn left before it. No matter, it’s all part of the adventure although my car’s suspension might disagree.
Waterford is – is there another word for beautiful, because that’s becoming a little overused here? – luxurious. The tasting room looks like a restaurant, with starched white linen, and the staff are well-trained and knowledgeable. It’s not cheap, with a standard tasting starting at R30 for three wines, going all the way up to R100 for the reserve tasting. The wines are classy, and can also be savoured by the glass or bottle in the tranquil courtyard with its central fountain.
The Waterford Estate Wine and Chocolate Experience costs R60 a person and includes the entire Waterford, Pecan Stream and Kevin Arnold ranges, as well as the specially made chocolates. My favourite was the Family Reserve Heatherleigh natural sweet wine with rose geranium milk chocolate.
I was told it would taste like Zoo biscuits – spot on – which just goes to show even when the wines are top of the range things don’t need to be snobbish.
For a full experience of Waterford you can go on an estate wine drive in a Land Rover, with tastings of the wines in the vineyards where they are grown.
Waterford is open Mondays to Fridays 9am till 5pm and Saturdays 10am till 5pm. For more information go to www.waterfordestate.co.za or call 021 880 5316.
l S ome EsCape Times activities are sponsored by the suppliers.