What an incredible way to experience Roberson and the surrounding area although there was nothing slow about our weekend we had 3 days packed with fun activities and we were ready to explore some delectable wine and a different way of life.
We made our way on the famous route 62 over the long weekend, and we were just Bubbling with excitement, the first stop on our itinerary was Graham Beck home of MCC. We started our weekend off with some bubbles also very fitting as we were celebrating woman’s day.
Popping with excitement at Graham Beck
Getting our sparkle on sipping on some delicious MCC in these beautiful hand blown glasses. What makes these glasses so special is that it holds the small delicate pearl necklace of bubbles inside the glass for longer.
Soaking up the winter sun on the balcony we slowly started to relax and unwind. Taking it all in and enjoying our time before we headed out to our next destination
Grazing at Excelsior wine estate
We visited excelsior wines for some yummy lunch and wine. While we waited we relaxed with a glass of wine and met with the locals on the farm. What caught my eye were the magnificent horses roaming on the farm. I am a huge animal lover and growing up I was always obsessed with horses. So naturally I was drawn to them, i gave them a rub and was delighted to see they loved the attention, they even tried to take a lick at my glass. It seems the chardonnay was also a favorite among the horses.
For lunch, I would recommend the lamb shank and pesto mash it was absolutely delicious, literally melting off the bone.
After a lovely lunch we made our way to our wine tasting and blending. This was such a memorable experience and a cute memento of our first slow. The ladies were so welcoming and created a fun atmosphere while blending and bottling our own wine. It’s also a great place for families. They have a play area for kids and lush lawn for the family to enjoy. I would recommend this place highly to anyone visiting the area.
Check in at Bushmanspad After a wonderful day spent exploring it was time to check into our home away from home for the weekend. We followed our GPS it led us to a little neighboring farm Spanspek Se Plek, so we had to turn around and drive a little further to get to our destination. Spanspek Se Plek is not the Plek!!! It was a bit further on that we got off onto a dirt road that led to the farm but boy was worth it, driving on the dirt road we were greeted by some very vocal donkeys. As we made our way up to the farm we could see five little cottages up on the hill. I was busting with excitement. It reminded me of a story I read the alchemist “everyone on this earth has a treasure that awaits him” and we were in for a real treat.
My first thought was Wow look at this incredible view, a humble cottage on the top of the hill in the middle of the valley with a cosy fire place and a fluffy bed. What more could a girl ask for? This was the perfect getaway. We cracked open a bottle of Bushmanpad Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon blend and kicked back and relaxed. The silence was calming and just what we needed after a long drive from Cape Town. I sat on the veranda and allowed myself to be hypnotized by the horizon as the sun began to set. How simple it was to just be present in the moment with no cell phone reception enjoying the peace and quiet with no buzzing phones to distract us.
It was not long before we had to get ready for our next event for the evening dinner at Jan Harmsgat Country House we were welcomed with some delicious bubbles and canapes to start the evening off. There was a buzz of chatter as everyone gathered for dinner. The place was set up so beautifully with subtle lighting to set the mood. We made our way to our way seats, my partner and I were seated at the head of the table it felt like we were at our wedding reception being the only two at the head table. We were later joined by a couple from Italy on honeymoon enjoying their stay in Robertson. The evening turned out delightful we met some interesting people and had good conversation, exquisite wines and a world class dining experience. After the evening we made our way back to the cottage lit a fire and cuddled up by the fire place.
Day 2 slow food and wine,
We woke up feeling fresh and ready to start our day with a quick coffee in bed admiring the pretty views, I am usually an early riser I opened the doors and enjoyed the fresh morning air watching the sun as it stretched over the fields. Feeling excited to see what new adventures await us.
First stop platform 62
A much needed breakfast at Platform 62 was the perfect way to kick start our day, we met some really adorable farm animals, Blacky Swart the baby chicken was just trotting around restaurant. The team on board was so welcoming and watching them going about their daily business you can see the passion and it was really refreshing to be surrounded by that.
After lunch we had some fun with Zizipo, the Gin mixologist at platform 62 whom was very knowledgeable and showed us some interesting ways to enjoy Gin. We had some time to kill before our next stop and had a quick browse around the store and purchased some yummy farm style goodies and gifts to take home.
"All aboard"Off to Ashton Winery for a chocolate and wine pairing, now this is my kind of party. Two of my favourite things, Chocolate and wine. The complex flavors of the chocolate adds new dimension to the wine making it the perfect pairing. This is a match made in heaven, we found a seat out on the balcony and enjoyed the afternoon sun.
After our tasting at Ashton wineries to be honest I didn’t know how I was going to make it through another tasting I was feeling a little tired, we made a pit stop and got some Mc Nabs it’s a natural energy booster and really works for me whenever I am in need of an extra push and I was ready to visit Zanvliet Wines and discover the Muscat caves.
This has to be the most interesting wine farms I’ve visited, a small range of low limestone hills lie on Zandvliet’s southern half, bringing the special magic to its kalkveld terroir. Giving the wines a firm acidity, concentrated flavors and mineral traces. We also got to experience an underground cellar filled with delectable art work and very dusty old wines.
We enjoyed a lovely platter in the sun while enjoying a wine tasting experience. The look and feel of the wine tasting room was spectacular the lighting and wall paper really stood out giving it a modern twist to some of the other wine farms we visited.
Our last wine tasting for the day was at De Wetshof Estate, Driving into the estate marveling at the path of trees that led us to a gushing water fountain and a crisp white house into the estate.
We met with sommelier Heinrich Bothmanto to tell us a little bit about the farm and the delectable wine selection. He started us off with a pallet cleanser De Westhof Cuvee Brut MCC as we made our way down to the library where he showcased some drool worthy wines and a private cellar tour for a taste of history and a glimpse into the future of South African wine.
We then learnt that De Wet and nine other wine makers were like the rock and rollers of wine in the 80’s, they smuggled numerous variants of vines into South Africa, They focused on Chardonnay mainly because it was a good match for the lime soil and this changing the face of the wine industry and wining many awards for their wines.
We had such an incredible time just relaxing and chatting we lost track of time nearly missed our ride for our wine maker’s dinner. We quickly dashed to our accommodation freshened up and made our way to Church Street 22.
On the menu we had some tasty canapés were served fresh and hot so delish with some gold Rose ,
1st course was my favourite malay curry crayfish paired with sauvignon blanc
2nd course duck empanada paired with malbac
3rd course was a karoo lamb cutlet served with the cabinet franc
4th course was a delicious Springbok loin and braised shank croquette
Platte cleanser was some naatjie and rooibos sorbet.
And for the 5th course we had bitter chocolate cremeux
5th course pomegranate tuille & karoo blue Roquefort foam
We were blown away by the food and Bushmanspad wine pairings a true farm-to-table dining. We had such an amazing evening meeting new people and what better way to spend the evening than with good company and good food and spectacular wines this was really a night to remember. Our last meal for the evening was being served and I felt a little tug in my heart, Robertson was slowly starting to steal my heart. The food the people they way of life.
Day 3 of our slow food and wine experience
It was our last day in Roberston and I felt the sadness start to creep in, we woke up had our coffee and rusks and loaded our bags in the car we said our good byes to our donkey friends and made a quick pitstop at Spanspek Se Plek for some biltong and some wine to take home and share with friends and family at home. Sunday was a little more relaxed day we had a wine tasting and lunch at Rietvalei, we browsed around at the wonderful art on display while we waited for lunch and our wine tasting. We tasted some Muscadel and had a yummy braai platter and cheese platter these portions are for sharing they are quite big.
We then made our way to our last activity for the day our boat cruise we were super excited to experience a little boat ride and picnic on the river, it was a little windy but we really enjoyed they relaxing day floating down the Breede River.
There are so many places to explore in Robertson and just not enough time in the day to see it all but the slow food and wine festival allowed us to discover 10 really incredible places to visit in one weekend. What I loved about Robertson the most was the people, really genuine, honest and passionate about what they do and that shines through, I’ve learnt many new things over this weekend this place is rich with knowledge and locals willing to share that with anyone keen to listen. I can say Robertson officially has my heart.
Comments