I invited my social club members, Sunrise Society, to join me for a 10am wine and chocolate tasting experience for R70 per person (4 wines, 3 chocolates). It’s quite an experience as it is actually backed by Spier – and it is almost the same as being in the Cape (except that it’s a lot closer to home).
Tip*: You can buy the chocolate and wine you loved most during a wine and chocolate wine pairing experience
I went home with #2 and a slab of chocolate because I want to relive this experience many more times. The experience is comparable to what you would get in Cape Town.
Tip*: Order a platter to go with your wine tasting experience
This little winery in the heart of Joburg is one of my favourite places to take clients to. It is set between a nursery and artisanal shops in a quiet street.
Travel is not allowed right now, but it doesn’t mean we can’t dream about travelling. When this is over, we will need to help rebuild our country’s economy and one way to do that is to travel local.
In February I hopped on over to Cape Town to have a birthday weekend with my bestie and we went on a wine farm tour with Beyond the Vine. It was so much fun – it definitely beat doing a self-drive just to taste wine.
We left from a hostel in Cape Town on a very comfortable shuttle with a mix of South Africans and Americans onboard. Robbie, co-owner and tour leader, entertained us on the way to our first taste of the winelands.
At our
first winery stop, Villiera Wines, tasted four of their wines and had a special
tour within their cellar. The Villiera
Wines cellar tour is not available through all wine tour operators.
Muratie
Sitting in
this historic winery with its cobweb dating from the year voetsek! Was quite an
experience. We were entertained with tales of the past and how the farm ended
up in the hands of the first owner, saw the original farm owner document and
tasted wine around old creaky tables.
Last time I was at Middelvlei we tried the delicious braaibroodjies and wine pairing, but with Beyond the Vine we blended our own wine. During the wine blending experience you had to work out which percentages of different wines would offer you the best blend. I even got to cork my own wine!
I would really recommend joining Beyond the Vine on a tour – and I paid for the tour myself. They offer experiences beyond just wine tasting and that is what travel is about (don’t be a tourist, be an explorer). After my winelands tour with Beyond the Vine they’ve added quite a few other tours. You can read more about their tours on www.beyondthevine.co.za.
