Downtime in the winelands
Friday, 16 December 2011 00:00
It’s almost holidays – thank goodness – and that means time to spend with your loved ones, friends and family alike. The chances are that you’ll want some relief from cooking at home, and the wonderful choice of wine farms in the Boland and beyond provides the perfect place to unwind, whether it’s lounging on the lawns enjoying a picnic or eating au table.
Here are some suggestions:
Middelvlei: this friendly estate in Stellenbosch, owned by the Mombergs, launched their boerebraai a couple of years ago, to add to their wine tasting repertoire – and it’s proved a winner. While the braais are generally held from Friday to Sunday only, they will be on every day (barring December 24 and 25). Tjoppies and sosaties are braaied to perfection with some lekker accompaniments including roosterkoek (braai-baked bread rolls) with snoek and liver pâtés, braaibroodjies (cheese, tomato and onion sandwiches toasted over the coals), pap-en-sous, pampoenkoekies (pumpkin fritters) and more-ish malva pud with ice-cream. While the parents can sit and kuier, kids can feed farm animals and go for tractor rides. Visit www.middelvlei.co.za or contact 021 883 2565 or
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Solms-Delta was recently in the news again – this time as a winner of “innovative wine tourism experiences” in the Great Wine Capitals Best of Wine Tourism Awards. This picturesque estate in Franschhoek recently introduced picnics to their culinary offerings, available at the Cape cuisine restaurant Fyndraai, made by chef Shaun Schoeman and his team. A personal guide carries your basket and blanket and assists in selecting a quiet spot on the forested banks of the Dwars River or overlooking the private Solms lake. Included in the basket is basil pesto, marinated farm vegetables with chive hummus, biltong, chicken tandoori with cucumber and honey mustard yoghurt, lamb kofta with mint creamed cheese, smoked Franschhoek trout and smoked snoek pâté, caper berries and fresh lemon, home baked Cape breads served with butter, cured meats and condiments, fruit and apple and a bottle of Solms-Delta Lekkerwijn, per couple, and Solms-Delta Vogelvrij spring water. The picnics are available seven days a week from 9am – call 021 874 3937 to book.
Glenelly: one of my favourite new discoveries, Glenelly, just off the Helshoogte Road, close to Ida’s Valley, commands magnificent views from its tasting room. The estate’s Lady May just garnered five stars in the latest Platter guide, and it, along with the other wines, made by youthful but highly-accomplished winemaker Luke O’Cuinneagain, are worth visiting the estate for. On Fridays and Saturdays, cheese and meat platters are available to team with the wines and once you’ve finished enjoying your repast and taking in the views, have a look at the wonderful glass collection of patron May-Elaine de Lencquesaing, as well as her art collection, housed below the tasting room.
Call 021 809 6440 or email:
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for more details and to check opening times during the public holidays.
Hartenberg: this gracious old estate, on the outskirts of Stellenbosch on the Bottelary Road, offers not only the space to sit and enjoy the fine wines and picnic platters, but also to take a wetlands trail, where visitors can have the opportunity of spotting some of the almost 100 birds in situ. There are three picnic lunches, a “main menu” which includes a carafe of Hartenberg wine, smoked snoek pâté, home baked breads, cold meats, seasonal salads, local cheeses and preserves, fresh seasonal fruit, roasted vegetables, crudités and pickles, and coffee and koeksisters for dessert; a quiche menu which includes some of the above with quiche and salad and a glass of wine or finally, the olive and cheese platters, which includes a selection of breads and a glass of Hartenberg wine. Visitors can also enjoy a charcuterie tasting (after 3pm) and play a game of boules or croquet on the lawns. Tapas and jazz take place on selected evenings. Call 021 865 2541 or visitwww.hartenbergestate.com
Finally, further afield in Durbanville, is Hillcrest Estate, where fine wines, olives and olive oil are made. There is a great breakfast and lunch menu – as a recent visit there attested where it was difficult to choose from the expansive breakfast menu, which includes flapjacks dripping with syrup and topped with crispy bacon, muffins with salmon and scrambled eggs, jumbo farmer’s breakfasts and more. Lunch offers hearty dishes with a nod to Tuscan and Mediterranean cuisine, and there’s also a range of creative sandwiches and snacks. The restaurant overlooks the vineyards and there’s a great space for children to play. Another attraction is a dam close to the olive groves where you can catch carp and trout in serene surroundings. For general enquiries call 021 976 1110 and for the restaurant 021 975 2346.
Written by Orielle Berry You are reading Downtime in the winelands articles
