Jamie and I played hooky from work today to road trip out to Stellenbosch. We chose a Tuesday because it is not only the slowest day of the week, but we often have nothing to do and always leave really early.
Stellenbosch is town about 45 minutes from Cape Town. It is famous for it’s multitude of vineyards. We rented a car (the same make and model of our first rental) in the morning and were on the road by 9am. The drive was beautiful. I had thought I’d seen all there is to see (As far as views go) in Cape Town, but Stellenbosch proved me wrong. I found the mountains and vast vineyards just as breathtaking as all the other amazing views. Every place in Cape Town has something different to offer. From oceans, to mountains, to countryside, to vineyards, and who knows what else is out there that I have yet to discover, I continue to be in awe of this beautiful country. 
outside the shops in StellenboschOur first stop was in the center of town. Doug recommended breakfast at “Beads”, a restaurant bistro. It was certainly one of the cutest bistros I’ve ever seen. It had a colonial feel to it with its old wood and fireplace. There was also an outdoor courtyard seating area. The colors and gardens were quaint and classy. The service, however, was less than fine (even by South Africa standards). It took nearly an hour to get granola and yogurt and scones. What’s more, they were nothing to write home about.
courtyard at Beads
After our breakfast, we explored the streets. Stellenbosch reminded me a lot of a small New England town. Partly because of the colorful autumn leaves, but it has a very old, country-side sort of feel to it. The streets were lined with small shops and bookstores. The street names, we learned (the hard way), are not on signs but on the curbs and painted yellow. We had a heck of a time finding our way into town and complained the entire time about the lack of street signs. It wasn’t until we stopped at an information center and mentioned it. The reason for the “curb signs” is because the college students were constantly stealing the street signs. Once we learned this, we found the idea amusing..and the navigating much easier.
Our next stop was Jonkershoek Tea Garden. This was far off the “beaten path” and was a suggestion from Doug. He insisted the drive was worth it, and it proved to be true! This tea garden was not meant for tourists and that’s exactly the kind of thing we were hoping for. The menu was even in Afrikaans (with English translations beneath them). It wasn’t actually a garden at all…and there weren’t any special tea options, but we didn’t mind. The area was almost farm-like and surrounded with mountains. The café was a small cabin and there were picnic tables outside. We sat in the sun and ordered Roibos tea and pancakes (which are actually crepes). Roibos is the most popular tea here in South Africa. It translates literally to “Red Bush” and is delicious. It’s a very calming tea, and my new favorite J. Now that I think about it, there actually was some sort of garden at the side of the house. That was probably the tea…
After our rejuvenating tea break, we were on to the vineyards. Our first stop was Waterford Estate. And an Estate it was! It looked like something out of Gatsby. The dirt road leading to the winery was lined with tall trees. The estate also housed a pond and a small, picturesque farm. The mountains and clear, blue sky reflected in the ponds making us feel like we were in a painting. The area was very quiet. We parked the car, unsure of where to go or what to do since there were no signs or attendants or anything. We walked in timidly and were finally met by a soft spoken and elegant host. He asked us if we were here for a tasting and we exchanged glances before saying yes. It was at that moment that we realized the weight of our situation. We had traveled hours to one of the most famous and esteemed wine countries possibly in the world, and we hadn’t the slightest clue as to what we were doing. The interior was open and sunny and led immediately into a courtyard. We were sat at a table with 2 different wine glasses, a smaller wine glass, a pitcher of water, and an empty pitcher among other various cutlery (that I at least recognized.) Our host left us. We looked at the arrangement in front of us, then at each other. We each asked the other if she had any idea what to do, and when the answer was a unanimous NO, we broke into a sudden fit of laughter. It only escalated and suddenly we were doubled over trying desperately to compose ourselves…which only made it worse. You know that supper table scenario: your parents tell you to stop laughing, and you want to (for fear of choking) but everything around you is just so positively hilarious that your laughter is uncontrollable. It’s the best and worst feeling in the world.
We did manage to compose ourselves (a little) by the time our host came by with the menu. It was time to come clean. Jamie made the announcement that we were wine tasting virgins (well she didn’t say it like that..anyone who knows Jamie would know she wouldn’t say it like that). Our host chuckled and maintained his politeness. He listed our options. I don’t remember all of them, just that one of them involved homemade chocolate made to compliment the wines. We obviously chose that one. Waterford is actually known for this pairing of chocolate and wine. We sampled 8 different wines. He went on about asparagus and pineapples and years, and percentages. I took notes and even enjoyed a few of them. Obviously, the two wine glasses were for red and white wines. I learned that the smaller wine glass was actually for water and the empty pitcher was a decanter for the unwanted wine.
Our last 3 wine samples were paired with the chocolates. We were presented with a slab that had printed on it the names of the wines and the chocolates, and information about each one. We were instructed to sip, bite, sip. The first was a shiraz and dark choc, which I was thought was alright. The second was a Cabernet Sauvignon and a rock salt choc. I didn’t particularly like the wine but the rock salt chocolate was amazing! The last pair was a natural sweet white wine and a rose geranium milk choc. The wine was one of the best I’ve ever tasted but the chocolate tasted like potpourri. I went home with two bottles of that wine and a slab of the rock salt chocolate.
Our next stop was Uva Mira. I was really entertained by the name of this winery. In Spanish, Uva means grape and Mira means look or see. This winery does not only produce some of the best wines in the country, but also has the most spectacular views. I tasted the chardonnay (which apparently won “Best in the world”), and I didn’t think it was all that great. But let’s be honest, who am I to judge? We saw a large room that housed barrels upon barrels of wine and explored the decks. Before leaving we enjoyed biscuits by the vineyards. I noticed some of the grapes on the vines and was tempted to taste one. I thought better of it, and we headed to the car. As I walked I just kept thinking what a grape sewn for the purpose of wine making would taste like. How different would it be from a farm grown grape? And how COOL would it be to say I ate a grape from South African vineyard. Arriving to the car I noticed a grapevine growing right in front of where we parked. It was fate! At the last minute I dove for a grape and jumped into the car. It was at that moment that I thought about pesticides and sulfur. I touched the grape with my tongue. When I tasted nothing, I went in for a bite. My teeth had barely sunk in before it burst in my mouth. What I tasted could easily be described as poison. I yelled out and immediately spat out the window. I continued yelling and spitting, to Jamie’s utter concern and confusion, for a good 30 seconds. I was convinced I was going to get sick (and possibly die) by morning. Thankfully Jamie was there to knock some sense in to me. I blame any mishaps and screw ups that happen from that moment on on that venomous grape.
We made a quick stop at strawberry farm on the way to our last winery. We were hoping for some fresh strawberries of strawberry wine, but came up dry. We did, however, discover sun dried strawberries. What a novel idea!! They were delicious!!
Our last stop was Spier, aka the DisneyLand of Stellenbosch. The last thing we wanted was to go to “DisneyLand”, but Spier was famous for its cheetahs. Here, you can actually pet a live cheetah for R90 (10 bucks). We didn’t feel right leaving Stellenbosch without the famous “Cheetah Encounter”. Even our South African friends and coworkers said it was a “must-do”. Since it was so late in the day, we barely made it. The cheetah encounters stopped at 5. We arrived at 4:51 and begged our way in. The reason they stop at this time is because animals are more awake at night. They typically sleep during the day, which is perfect for petting. They told us the cheetahs were becoming to active for visits, but they let us in anyway! Even though he looks asleep in the pictures, our cheetah was pretty awake during our visit. He actually made me jump once or twice. Cheetah’s are surprisingly soft. I wanted to snuggle up with him, until I saw his mouth. As we were leaving we heard our cheetah purring. At this point we were about 100 feet away but his purring sounded like my head was against his chest. It was wild.
For dinner we ate at the widely suggested “Moyo”. It is an outdoor, buffet style, authentically African, dinning experience. It took us a bit to finally decide that we did, indeed, want to eat at moyo. Once we did, our waiter sat us at a big couch/lounge area. The food was all incredibly delicious. Even though it was buffet style, it was cooked fresh in front of you. We had fish, springbok, sugar beans, veggies, and (of course) Malva pudding. While we ate we were entertained by African drummers who even gave us a personal performance at the end of the night.
uva mira
drive to uva mira
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