South African Expedition 2000
Tuesday 25 January
Today we went on a wine tour. We were picked up from our hotel around 9am and were soon in the heart in the Cape’s wine region.
| The first port of call was the Fairview Vineyard. On offer was a selection of about
a dozen or so red and white wines, as well as a selection of goats cheese. What you liked
you could buy, which is just what I did. A couple of bottles of white at about £2 each.
Multiply that price by about 3 or 4 times and you’d get what they would cost back
home. Then it was off to Paarl, home to KWV. They are the largest wine makers in South Africa, and has a massive plant where they make all sorts of wines, sherries, port, etc. Some of their Port cats were about 20 yards high, and could hold several million litres of wine or port. The usual tasting session followed, and we were getting a bit p##sed already, and it was only 11am. Then it was off to Franschhoek for lunch. We ate at a restaurant called La Petite Ferme which was truly idyllic. The food was cracking and the views across the valley were outstanding. Another place well worth a visit. |
The Goat House at Fairview |
A third vineyard, the Delaire Farm, was visited after lunch, where more bottles were purchased, and then we were off to Stellenbosch for a wonder round this small university town.
Can’t quite remember what we did in the evening, but if I was to say that we got w##kered again I wouldn’t be far off the mark.