After a long wait, we finally made it to a winetasting. Though we had been hearing about the incredible wine culture around Cape Town (and, of course, sampling the wines on our own), this was the first time we had gone to a vineyard and actually done an official tour and tasting.
On this beautiful, warm Saturday, we left our house bright and early at 9am and made the drive out to Paarl, a region of Stellenbosch, to a little vineyard called Nelson. We began our morning with a tour of the vines and winery, learning about how the grapes were grown, processed, and turned into different types of wine.
After the tour, we were escorted to the tasting, where we were situated around giant round wooden tables and each given our own wooden board with cheese, crackers, and a glass. For the next hour, our guide (who also happened to be the daughter of the founder of the vineyard) talked us through five of the vineyard’s wines, teaching us how to correctly taste, appreciate, and differentiate between the different types. I quickly chose my favorite, a crisp, light Rosé, and as soon as the tasting ended I bought two bottles to take home with me.
After the tasting, we were led out to our picnic lunch by the pool, where we enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by a local caterer and watched while a wedding ceremony was being set-up nearby. We lazed in the sun for a few hours until finally, pleasantly numbed by the food, wine, and sun, we climbed back into the bus, sleepy and content. Overall, the winetasting was one of my favorite experiences so far, and left me eager to try more.
The following weekend, we woke up early after a night of relaxing at a backyard Braii with our neighboring house to the delicious smell of baked apple French toast, which Danni whipped up to lure us out of bed in time for our 7am departure. Once we had eaten our fill, we loaded into the van, pleasantly sleepy and satisfied, and headed to Hermanus for their annual Whale festival. Every year, this charming little coastal town hosts a huge festival in honor of their yearly visitors, the Right Southern Whales. We spent the day exploring the town and enjoying the festivities, which included several parades, a car show, tons of stands selling food and African crafts, and even some carnival games and rides. After lunch at Cuban restaurant near the water, we took a walk along a scenic trail on the coastline. Here, we had the opportunity to take in the gorgeous views and catch some glimpses of the whales!
 |
At the end of the day, we piled back into the car to head home, taking the scenic coastal route where we got to see even more of the beautiful coastline. Never having seen a whale before except in Free Willy, this day was definitely one I will never forget.
