Our second day in Cape Town began with coffee and a lovely view. We made our way to breakfast and were only slightly hurried out into our van to meet up with the rest of the tour for our day touring the Stellenbosch region of South Africa, which is renowned for its wine.
Our guide, Charleton, was able to chat with us throughout the tour about the various wineries, regions, mountains, traffic, memes, or whatever else caught our fancy. Any question asked was answered promptly. A short 45 minutes out of town and we were at our first winery, Fairview, which was set up for wine tastings and cheese pairings.
MAYBE 930 am is a little early for 5 types of wine and cheese pairings, but it’s okay, we are ON VACATION! Our overall impression of the region on our palates was clay and slate, with mineral wash from the mountains adding some jyooge. From fruity to sweet, the wine here was good.
The group was in a pretty good mood when we got back in the bus and continued our tour to the NEXT winery, a place called Lanzerac. While we weren’t the biggest fans, the region produces a signature variety called pinotage, which is a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsaut (known in 1925 as Hermitage, hence the name). It is fruity and soft, excellent for an afternoon but not big enough to pair with a steak, in our opinion.
Next we headed into the actual town of Stellenbosch, but not before a quick pit stop at Delaire Graff Estate. It shames me to report I didn’t get many pictures here, but this was an incredible property, with stunning rooms and a fantastic sounding wine pairing menu for the exquisite dinner. If you decide to come to the area, make sure to look this property up and perhaps stay here. Serene and lovely.
We made a quick stop along the way to see the prison from which Nelson Mandela was released. He was transferred here after many years at Robbin Island, and was greeted as a hero when he finally got out and began his long walk.
Stellenbosch is a university town full of cafes, boutiques and art galleries. Don’t miss it if you make your way down to this region.
This was an exceptional day of wine, history and fun. Don’t miss this part of the world!
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