We’ll drink to that! – So much more to the Winelands than just wine
“When a group of international visitors arrived in Cape Town for a family reunion they were keen to see the famous Cape Winelands that they had heard so much about. We were asked to organize a day trip for them and with 60 people ranging from young children to pensioners; the day had to appeal to everyone.”
“When a group of international visitors arrived in Cape Town for a family reunion they were keen to see the famous Cape Winelands that they had heard so much about. We were asked to organize a day trip for them and with 60 people ranging from young children to pensioners; the day had to appeal to everyone.”
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When a large group of international visitors arrived in Cape Town for a family reunion they were desperately keen to see and experience the famous Cape Winelands that they had heard so much about. We were asked to organize a day trip for them and with 60 people ranging from young children to pensioners; the day had to appeal to everyone. No easy feat but of course this was no problem for us as there is so much more to the region than just wine!
Read on to see what they got up to!
It was first off to Stellenbosch, the capital of the ever expanding Cape Winelands, to Ama zink, a truly South African eatery in Kayamandi Township which is actually the result of a successful community project between a locally trained chef born in Kayamandi and the business community.
The group got to taste the locally brewed beer and African delicacies from the kitchen, heard the history of Kayamandi, met the local residents and listened to the acclaimed children’s choir. It was a real insight into South African history and culture for the entire family.
Next it was on to Camberley wine estate, a tiny boutique winery on the slopes of the stunning Helgshooghte pass. The home of winemaker Johnny Nel, the winery is literally a family affair and, in our opinion, makes some of South Africa’s finest red wine. But this was a tasting with a difference, not only did our group taste a range of this excellent wine, but learnt about the history of winemaking in the region and got a chance to press their own grapes and bottle their own wine. They also got to combine the wine tasting with the delicious locally made Von Gesau chocolates which went down a storm!
Everyone agreed the Camberley Shiraz was a real winner and the group were fascinated by Johnny’s wine making tales, but all heads
really turned in astonishment as a cheetah appeared at the back of the room! Popping in from the local Cheetah outreach programme just down the road, the group was allowed to get up close and personal with one of Africa’s wildest cats and have a photo opportunity of this special moment.
It was then time for lunch at the exclusive Delaire Graff wine estate, with magnificent views over the valley, a fine dining experience and a glass or two of the estates award winning Sauvignon Blanc. But the surprises weren’t finished yet and before lunch the group actually took part in a drumming circle with the “Drum Café” with each family member having their own drum and banging along to the beat!
On the journey home it was clear the group had had a fascinating day and later that evening over dinner in the hotel were delighted to each receive a special bottle of the wine they had bottled earlier that day. We had whisked them away, labeled them “the fifth element”, and then packaged and presented them back to the family as a memento of a truly special day that no one would easily forget!
Stay tuned for more pictures and stories from this extraordinary family reunion in the weeks to come!
