South Africa has long been applauded as one of the world’s leading wine destinations and none more so than the picturesque wineland of the Western Cape. With so many new vineyards and boutique wine farms popping up left right and centre, it is hard to decide which route to try, which region to visit and whether to swill or glug. Instead of heading to the better known areas such as Stellenbosch, Franschoek or Paarl, why not head just an hour and a bit out of Cape Town and try out some of these great wine activities in the Robertson Valley.
The Robertson Wine Valley route was formed in 1983 and is home to over 43 wine farms in Ashton, Bonnievale, McGregor and Robertson. The area produces many award-winning wines, including some of South Africa’s great Chardonnay and Shiraz vintages.
Esona Boutique Wines vertical tasting in Riedel glasses
Instead of resigning yourself to the usual run of the mill tasting, why not visit this fantastic boutique winery situated on the road from Robertson to Bonnievale. Providing you with three grandiose looking wine glasses and one run of the mill catering wine glass (the joker glass), they proceed to take you through one of the most illuminating wine tastings experiences in the region. Pairing the wine with a food item, such as preserved orange or dark chocolate, they play music that in some remarkable way seems to match the flavours that dance on your palette. The specially designed Reidel glasses are designed in such a way so as to deliver the wine in the correct shape to the palette, allowing for the flavour to be fully received. If in some way you were still not convinced as to how much the shape of the glass accentuates the flavours in the wine, they get you to taste the same wine out of your ‘joker glass’ – the result is quite an eye-opener.
Blend your own wine at Excelsior
The tasting room at Excelsior Wine Estate sits on stilts overlooking a peaceful dam with vineyards and naartjie orchards in the distance. Here, you’ll be able to blend your own red wine. After tasting all their wines (do not miss out on their delicious chardonnay), you can choose to blend your own combination of Shiraz, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon from specially designed taps in the tasting room. After selecting your winning combination, they take you through corking it, sealing the foil cap and even designing and printing your own label.
Take a wine cruise on the river at Viljoensdrift
For something really special, visit the family-owned Viljoensdrift, that sits right on the banks of the Breede River. After your tasting, jump aboard their river cruise boat for a picnic and your chosen bottle of wine from your tasting. Bring your own picnic or raid their deli’s shelves for tasty morsels to consume while you enjoy the sunshine and views along Breede River. You can either join one of the daily trips or get your own group of people together (minimum 6) and book a private trip. Trips last 50 minutes, although we can’t say the same for the wine… so perhaps buy more than one bottle.
Go underground at Weltevrede
Close to Bonnievale, the Jonker family wine Weltevrede Estate is very well known for their inspiring wines but even more so for their wonderful underground cellar tour – it’s a great way to escape the summer heat! You’ll be guided along dimly lit pathways to a tasting cave lit only by candles and encompassed in the wax drippings of many candles before. A wine barrel in the centre holds a generous selection of the Jonker family’s wines, each presented for tasting with a story that will have you rapt in reverie, wanting to spend hours in the peaceful dark chamber; sipping wine all day.
Art screen printing and MCC tasting at Wonderfontein Estate
Try your hand at art screen printing and then experience an MCC education and tasting with winemaker Henk van Niekerk and his wife Monica in their home on the estate. After exploring your creative side and learning all about Monica’s passion for screen printing, you will be treated to not only a generous tasting of the acclaimed Paul Rene Brut and Rosé MCC, but also an interesting demonstration on the tastes and various stages of the Methode Cap Classique process. The chance to experience and taste a wine with the winemaker himself is an opportunity not to be missed as you will experience a deeper understanding and appreciation for the wine just through the winemaker’s passion for their work.
With the Robertson Wine Valley only a 90-minute drive from Cape Town, why not plan a summer weekend there this year and experience some of the more interesting and different wine activities on offer. Or you could just go and enjoy the beauty of the valley and all the wonderful wine estates dotted throughout the area. Where would you go first?
