Speaking of extreme contrasts, just twenty minutes after leaving Khayalitscha Township we arrived at Meerlust Winery, the first of six we would visit in the region. Meerlust dates back to the 1600s and has been in the Myburg Family for eight generations. The winery, in a lovely Cape Dutch homestead, is known for their Rubicon varietal. We enjoyed a 2003 Rubicon and learned that their 1980 was recognized all over the world as one of the best ever produced. Only France, Spain and Italy produce more wines than South Africa. We drove through many beautiful wineries and horse farms which Andrew referred to as the "mink and manure" set! We also saw our first zebra which Andrewed calls a "donkey in pajamas"! We drove through Stellenbosch, the second oldest city in South Africa (where we would return that evening for two enjoyable days). It is a beautiful white washed Dutch version of Oxford with its well-preserved Colonial Dutch architecture, Old Dutch Reform Church with bright aqua door and handsome University of Stellenbosch, home to 20,000 students where Afrikaan is the official language.
The next stop was Rustenberg Winery dating back to 1600s and known for its wine and dairy cows (Brampton Cows). Their top name brands are Rustenberg, Brampton and John X Meeriman. We were entertained by our hostest Elreda Hugo who had just returned from Singita Camp, the most luxurious safari camp in South Africa. She regaled us with fabulous photos from her safari - seeing all big five, including a white and black Rhino - an animal that would elude us on our two safaris.
Off to Franschhoek (name means French Corner), the food and wine capital of South Africa. The Dutch exiled the French Huguenots to this region of South Africa to get them out of Holland....a maneuver that didn't quite turn into a "hardship" as they started one of the finest wine capitals of the world! We had a stupendous lunch at La Petite Ferme (meaning little farm), a beautiful restaurant and winery with its rolling vineyards nestled in a valley surrounded by the Drankenstein Mountains. The views from our solarium table were gorgeous. Charlie feasted on rabbit which was preceded by cucumber salad with asparagus tart topped off with a poached pear and blue cheese ice cream. Hilary enjoyed pear and gorgonzola soup and smoked trout - delicious!!
Following the Huguenots' hardship tour, our next stop was Paarl, the third of twelve wine regions in South Africa that we would visit. We enjoyed the Glen Carlou Winery which is part of the Hess Group empire. This winery provided a magnificent view of the Paarl Valley as well as an avant-garde art collection. Our favorite here was the Glen Carlou Grand Classique, a exceptional Bordeaux style blend. And there is always time for one more...Kanonkop our last stop for the day is famous for its Pinotage and their hospitable hostess Anita. We enjoyed their 2006 Pinotage and learned that an emerging pinotage region in the USA is just south of Charlottesville, Virginia.
We arrived at our magnificent five star resort hotel and spa - The Lanzerac Manor - in the heart of the Jonkershoek Valley in Stellenbosch. Our "classic" rooms were spacious and elegant with lovely patios and located on the main historic lawn and close to the spa. The buildings on the property date back to the 1600s. We turned on our TVs only to see Sarah Palin being named as John McCain's running mate......and decided we hadn't had enough wine to deal with this news! After freshening up, we headed into Stellenbosch for fabulous northern Indian cuisine at Bukhara. We savoured a good night's rest nestled under the downs while gale force winds and pounding rain made sweet music!
The next stop was Rustenberg Winery dating back to 1600s and known for its wine and dairy cows (Brampton Cows). Their top name brands are Rustenberg, Brampton and John X Meeriman. We were entertained by our hostest Elreda Hugo who had just returned from Singita Camp, the most luxurious safari camp in South Africa. She regaled us with fabulous photos from her safari - seeing all big five, including a white and black Rhino - an animal that would elude us on our two safaris.
Off to Franschhoek (name means French Corner), the food and wine capital of South Africa. The Dutch exiled the French Huguenots to this region of South Africa to get them out of Holland....a maneuver that didn't quite turn into a "hardship" as they started one of the finest wine capitals of the world! We had a stupendous lunch at La Petite Ferme (meaning little farm), a beautiful restaurant and winery with its rolling vineyards nestled in a valley surrounded by the Drankenstein Mountains. The views from our solarium table were gorgeous. Charlie feasted on rabbit which was preceded by cucumber salad with asparagus tart topped off with a poached pear and blue cheese ice cream. Hilary enjoyed pear and gorgonzola soup and smoked trout - delicious!!
Following the Huguenots' hardship tour, our next stop was Paarl, the third of twelve wine regions in South Africa that we would visit. We enjoyed the Glen Carlou Winery which is part of the Hess Group empire. This winery provided a magnificent view of the Paarl Valley as well as an avant-garde art collection. Our favorite here was the Glen Carlou Grand Classique, a exceptional Bordeaux style blend. And there is always time for one more...Kanonkop our last stop for the day is famous for its Pinotage and their hospitable hostess Anita. We enjoyed their 2006 Pinotage and learned that an emerging pinotage region in the USA is just south of Charlottesville, Virginia.
We arrived at our magnificent five star resort hotel and spa - The Lanzerac Manor - in the heart of the Jonkershoek Valley in Stellenbosch. Our "classic" rooms were spacious and elegant with lovely patios and located on the main historic lawn and close to the spa. The buildings on the property date back to the 1600s. We turned on our TVs only to see Sarah Palin being named as John McCain's running mate......and decided we hadn't had enough wine to deal with this news! After freshening up, we headed into Stellenbosch for fabulous northern Indian cuisine at Bukhara. We savoured a good night's rest nestled under the downs while gale force winds and pounding rain made sweet music!
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