Exploring the Winelands – Part.5

36 Replies

You can’t have a visit to the cape without visiting the Winelands!!! There are enormous amounts to choose from, so you really need to have an idea of which ones you want to visit!!! (May I just add that we LOVE wine!!! Red red wine it makes me feel so fine… 😉 )!!! So granted, I haven’t tasted wines from many countries, but I really think that we have superb wines in South Africa!!! In which case I consider us lucky!!! 😀

He-who-thinks-he’s-boss claims that Delheim is his favourite winery of all time (which is awesome btw!!), so naturally, Delheim was a must on our list. He also chose Kanonkop. My choices were Fairview & Lourensford (of which the latter was a bit off track from our chosen route). Don’t worry, I will describe these farms as I go along & add links if you would like to see more… 😉

 Our first stop was Delheim. As it was still too early to quite start drinking wine, we went to the restaurant and had a yummy brunch!!! – – – suuuuuuuper expensive though – – – This was our view from our table… Pretty gooooood right??

View from our table!!! Gorgeous!!!

This really is a beautiful winery & if you ever get the chance to visit, leave Delheim for your last stop… you know what they say: best for last!!! 😉 After our delicious foodies we were ready to tackle our first wine tasting. As we entered the cellars, we were drawn to the back of the area where they kept their wines… – – – Just want to say that I took all these photos with my little snapper – – – who wants to carry a big SLR around the whole day?? For a while we roamed around there… started chatting to one of the girls that work on the farm & soon learned a lot of the farm, its history & its wines…

Isn't this how a cellar should look like??

See my comments on this wine below!!!

We took our seats at a vacant table and started browsing the wines that we could choose from to taste… Immediately we started with their flagships – – – bad idea – – – because we ended up walking out of there with 3 of their flagship wines: the 2007 Vera Cruz Shiraz (which we compared to their normal 2007 Shiraz… let’s just say that compared to the flagship, I can’t believe they sell 😀 ), the 2007 Grand Reserve (which is a 95% cabernet, 5% merlot blend) & the 2010 Chardonnay Sur Lee!!! We are usually not big white wine drinkers, but this Chardonnay was something from another world… According to our informant (;)) all these wines can be shelved for another 4-5 years (at which point they will be at their best!!!) I can’t wait to open these bottles in a few years… 😀

Wine tasting list!!!

Upon leaving the cellar you walk past this: a window with spider webs that is as old as 35 years!!! Sooooo cool!!! This is their piece of preservance, a window that have not been cleaned in 35 years!!! Delheim has so much character!!!

Last views of Delheim!!!

 Our next stop was Kanonkop. We were utterly disappointed!! 😦 It was sooooo commercialized (unfortunately many of these wine farms are…)!!! You went into a really fancy area, stood (yes, that’s right, you can’t even sit) & tasted wine & then you would buy – or not… We didn’t buy… after Delheim their wines was – how can I put this nicely – way to dry for our taste?? 😉 The only cool thing about Kanonkop was this white “couch” – – – He-who-thinks-he’s-boss claims it is extremely uncomfortable – – – I never sat on it!!! 😀

Kanonkop couch!!!

 We then stopped at quite a few farms on the way… Warwick – commercialized, Simonsig – commercialized, & a few other of which I can’t even recall the names… At this point we were craving an attractive cheese platter… Now, where can we go that we can get wine & cheese?? … Que Fairview… 😉

I have mentioned that I am a huge fan of pretty much ANY cheese…. blue, yellow, sweet, spicy, old, soft, hard, goats, cow… you name it… if it’s cheese – I’ll eat it!!! 😀 That is the main reason why Fairview is one of my favourite wine farms to visit – It caters for my cheesy side!!! Although also (just) slightly commercialized, it has such a wide variety of cheese that you can taste, eat & buy for very very cheap… – – – My kind of place – – – 😀 & it is a very very truly beautiful farm!!! 😉

Our cheese platter - view 1!!!

One of their goats sneaking a peek at us!!!

Cheese Platter - view 2!!!

A piece of garden in the shape of our flag - how cool is that??

In relaxed mood...

Goat scratching against the wall!!!

Cheese Platter - done!!!

South African garden!!!

Ending our day on a cheesy note!!!

He-who-thinks-he’s-boss ate so much cheese that until today (which is a month later), he still do not want to eat cheese… He did not feel good – – – not feel good at all – – – 😉 I for one, can’t comprehend how that is possible… but nevertheless!!! 😀

 That excursion took the whole day (unfortunately) & we did not have enough time in the day to visit Lourensford as well… But I will tell you more of this winery on another days story!!! 🙂

This will be all for Exploring the Winelands!!! Stay tuned for the next part (Part.6) of our holiday!!! Thank you for reading & have a lovely evening!!! 🙂 **

36 thoughts on “Exploring the Winelands – Part.5”

  1. Filipe Marques

    Winelands usually have great landscapes and are really beautifull, and then the best part, the caves and tasting the wines 😀

    Excelent trip there 😉 and definitly i love going to Porto to visit the Vinho do Porto caves 😀

    Reply ↓
  2. SL Schildan

    I love your photos. There are so many wonderful photo ops at vineyards!! Hubs and I live in a place dotted with them. We drove a mere 40 miles and passed over 100 of them. Here we call them vin-yards and we pronounce the v as in victory, and “wine” with the “w” as in window.

    When we were in Switzerland they pronounce it win-yards as in window, and the wine is called “vine” the “v” as in victory.

    Which only means part of the world calls it the opposite way that we say it, and my examples or other words may also be opposite of our pronunciation. 😀 😀

    I am looking forward to the rest of the story. Thank you so much for sharing. 😉

    Reply ↓
    1. xandreverkes Post author

      We pronounce it same as you Shez!!! 🙂 … victory-v & wine-w!!! (somehow I think that german influences has something to do with the switching of sounds!!!;) …soooo funny!!! 🙂 **

      Reply ↓
  3. Leanne Cole

    Sounds like a good, well a good beginning and great ending. Love the goat. Australia also has lots of wineries, and it is only something that I have just begun to experience. I did do a wine tasting sunday school at Chandon which was fantastic.

    Reply ↓
  4. drawandshoot

    Looks like an amazing time, I might try to find some of your wine recommends here – I like red wine too 🙂 and cheese 🙂

    Great pics and thanks for the mini wine tour!

    Reply ↓
    1. xandreverkes Post author

      I had a look for you Karen… You can get Delheim wines in Ontario (Noble Estate Wines – http://www.nobleestates.com) & Quebec (Vintrinsec – http://www.vintrinsec.com) – granted, I don’t know which of these wines you would get, but I do recall the girl telling us that they export their best wines!!! You might be in luck… I defintely recommend these!!! 🙂 ** If you visit these site you wil see that most of these are available in Canada (&obviously many more!!! 😉 ) Let me know if you do oneday get hold of one these – & what you think of it!!! 🙂 **

      Reply ↓
  8. Mark Goodwin

    Isn’t it strange how the more red wine you taste, the more relaxed one becomes?

    Unfortunately, after all the years I spent in the music business travelling the world and tasting and ‘testing’ the lovely wines etc…..I can now, no longer taste any wines, beer or spirits. And, it’s been like that for about 15 years now.
    Ah well….it was great while it lasted and thank G_d I’m here to enjoy all the many other fruits of this wonderful world, including my new baby granddaughter, Lily-Mae.

    Reply ↓
  9. The World is my Curtlefish

    Love the goat-climbing tower. Great idea. That’s for the wine tips too. Always good to hear of something new

    Reply ↓
  15. Mr Bunny Chow

    I adore the cape, must try fairview the next time we’re there although Delheim has been a fovourite for many years. If you ever get the opportunity you must also try Audacia justy outside Somerset West, they’re tiny and not always open but their reds are some of the best I’ve ever had.

    Reply ↓
    1. xandreverkes Post author

      Thanks Mr Bunny Chow!!!! I’ve never even heard of Audacia?? But I will be looking out for it & when I return to the Cape will definitely be going by there!!! 🙂 **

      Reply ↓
      1. Mr Bunny Chow

        their wines are definitely worth seeking out although because they’re so small very difficult to find outside of specialist wine shops and virtually impossible outside of SA if in the area though they’re one of the first estates on the R44 if driving away from somerset west towards stellenbosch. their website is http://www.audacia.co.za

        Reply ↓
  19. thisismethisisme

    Been there. It’s beautiful. The wine routes are intense. You need a few days and in the end, you just wobble! Ha Ha! But it’s fantastic. Did you try the Uva Mira (not sure if I spelled that right) farm?

    Reply ↓
    1. xandreverkes Post author

      Yes, they are!!! My bf decided to stop drinking altogether (he’s not an alcoholic…. he was just over it!!)…. which means that automatically I also hardly ever drink!!!! Needless to say that it only takes about two glasses of wine for us to become giggly!!! 😉 We only needed one day of wine routes to have had enough…. But there are soooooooo many, you will be able to go for days!!!! 😀 No, we did not go there…. haven’t heard of it yet??? will look it up, maybe we will be lucky enough to get ourselves a bottle to try out!!! Thanks!!! 🙂 **

      Reply ↓
  20. mustbewrite

    Hi Xandre! I love your blog, your adventurous spirit and great photos. I share your sentiments about Fairview. Our son worked there for 5 years and it’s a really special place, not only for the food and wines but for its unique “own-ness.” Keep exploring life!

    Reply ↓
    1. xandreverkes Post author

      Aaaawww… thanks so much!!! I’m glad you enjoyed browsing my blog & thank you for taking the time to comment!!! 🙂 Five years is a long time to work at one place…. but then again, it is Fairview!!!! Gorgeous!!! 😀 **

      Reply ↓
  21. Hope Varnes

    Hi Xandre, I just dropped by your blog after you visited mine. I’m glad you did. You’ve got lovely pictures. It made me wish I could come and visit the places one day. Maybe I should put them in my wish list:)

    Reply ↓
  23. johnstirlingphotography

    Great wine advertising photographs from the cellar, Xandre! Wine and cheese; Mmmmm!! I love visiting the occasional vineyard or distillery for tastings when on holiday! Funny, I can never remember their names when I have left them! Wonder why? Great Part V! Roll on Part VI!

    Cheers

    John

    Reply ↓
  24. Sperling family

    Hi Xandré, thank you for visiting Delheim and your wonderful review! We hope to see you and your friends here again soon. Love from the Sperling family and all our Jack Russells. ♥

    Reply ↓
    1. Xandré Verkes Post author

      It is a pleasure!! We are moving to Canada at the end of the year & will undoubtedly source your wines… Truly great wines!! Keep up the good work & preserve the character that makes your wine farm so unique!! 🙂 **

      Reply ↓

Leave a reply to thisismethisisme Cancel reply