How to have fun on a bus …

Categorized | Features

Posted on 15 December 2009 by Juli

Take some Journalists, throw in a tour guide, a couple of photographers, a really cool driver, make sure you are in a Hylton Ross bus, and take a trip to the Breede Valley.

We met at the offices of the Cape Winelands District Municipality in Stellenbosch and after a warm welcome and a “goodie” bag with some info, a mini soccer ball and to my utter dismay – remember I have “The Teenagers” at home! – a Vuvusela. The moment I set eyes on this “instrument of torture” I knew that I would have to make it disappear between now and getting home.

A Hylton Ross luxury bus, painted with a beautiful red decal of a soccer ball, was waiting at the curb and after boarding, settling in and stowing our belongings, we were off. Danie, our very capable driver, and the father of a three month old daughter – took us via the Du Toitskloof pass, over the mountains into the Breede Valley.

Our first stop in the Breede Kloof, just on the other side of the mountain towards Worcester, was Slanghoek Cellar. Now, for a whole lot of journos who’s only experience with wine, is drinking it, this was an experience and a half! We were met by Melody, the person in charge of tourism in this area of the world and lead like lambs to the slaughter – in a good way of course!

We met the winemakers and after presenting us with a Merlot, Pinotage and Cabernet, giving us some history on these three vintages, handing out loads of paper towels to mop up the spills, tasting glasses and some test tube looking things with millimeters marked up to 100ml, we were off. Now, I told you we only drink the stuff and I must admit my first blend was only good enough to start a jet engine! It did get better because they do give you quite a few tries to get your blend just right and amidst loads of laughter – after all, we don’t usually drink this much wine this early – our blends were ready to be bottled. The bottling was done and we even lend a hand with putting the corks in and putting the foils on the tops of the bottles. From here we moved on to the ‘labeling and naming” part where we named our “blends”, labels were printed and stuck on the bottles and a very happy bunch of people got back on the bus clutching our “own” wines.

Our next stop was Jason’s Hill Private Cellar where we were supposed to have some tea and muffins but because our” blending” took a bit long; we missed this and had a walk around the estate instead. This estate is a family run business and has been in the same family for five generations. Award winning wines are made by South Africa’s first woman Wine Maker of the Year 2004, Ivy du Toit. A 6.5km walking trail and Health and Wellness@Jasons is available for those who want to get away from it all. This estate is family friendly as are most of the estates in the Breede Kloof and a kiddies dining room complete with little tables and chairs and a few mattresses is available for the littlies should parents want to have a wine tasting or lunch at Bistro@Jasons.

From here we moved on to Opstal Estate, just down the road where we were welcomed with a glass of champagne. The history of this estate dates back to 1847 when JC Rossouw acquired the farm. After drinking in the magnificent view from the restaurant windows, we were shown to out table, ordered from quite an extensive light lunch menu and moved on to a wine tasting by current vintner Stanley Louw. We tried from Whites to reds and we ended our tasting experience with a most wonderful dessert wine. Their Sixpence wine is named after one of the oldest workers on the farm and his photo is taking pride of place on the bar in the tasting room. This estate is known for it friendliness and hospitality and is definitely worth a visit.

By now we were fading fast but we still had a full program ahead and De Doorns was next on the list. Welcome in the Hex Valley! Melanie welcomed us at the De Doorns Wine House with a “Hex Brew” – a local, unique cocktail. I seem to remember champagne and Muscadel but I could be wrong! A love lost, accidental death and suicide features strongly in the story of how the Hex Valley got its name.

Melanie was joined by Pieter and took us on a visit to Mooigezicht Estates the largest producer of red seedless grapes in South Africa. This is a Table Grape estate and most of their product is exported. With an annual estimated production of 1.2 million cartons, they need every one of their 1000 employees. It was quite interesting to find out how the bunches of grapes are coddled and nurtured until they conform to the highest standards. Most table Grapes are seedless because we are a society with comfort in mind and seeds are a hassle! I won’t have a bunch of grapes without thinking about the fact that this is a labour intensive operation as everything is done by hand. Back on the bus and with a little detour to show off how beautiful this area is, we set of for La Rochelle Goats Milk Cheese Factory.

On arrival at La Rochelle, an export grape farm, where owner Sakkie Joubert, realized the potential of goats milk products, and started making goats milk cheese in 2000, our first stop was the dairy where the goats are milked twice a day. I think this milk “shed” is more sterile and clean than a lot of operating theatres! Talk about gleaming stainless steel! We all wanted to meet the goats and as much as I like animals, I must admit that the whole farm scene with the smells does not appeal to me. We met the goats and after that, we were off for a tour through the factory and a taste of the cheeses made on this farm. Some of their best sellers are, Halloumi, Dowry, Gouda, Roche and of course, Feta. .Estalanie Marais, Cheesemaker at La Rochelle, is passionate about her job and believes that goats milk products is the way of the future as we become more health conscious.

Okay, by now I needed some coffee and a break from all these facts and as a special treat, Pieter took us to a coffee shop/farm stall/cottage in the woods called Inspiratie, run by two lovely ladies, Hildegard and Maryke. When we arrived, we were floored by the beauty and charm of this country shop. Nestling under shady trees and filled with beautiful items – all for sale of course – we filed in and soon could be heard oohing and aahing about the setting, the beautiful handmade items, and the fact that we could sit on a verandah and have a relaxing cuppa. Some calm and serenity at last. Not for long though, as the tea arrived, we started arguing about who has the most beautiful cup! I know, really infantile, but you should see these cups. They were all beautiful, from Victorian to Art Deco and everything in between. Definitely worth the visit.

Refreshed after our encounter with beauty, we were ready to board the bus once again for our trip back to Worcester and our accommodation for the night. Reeds Country lodge, is less that 90 minutes from Cape Town and self catering. On arrival we were met by the friendly staff and after signing the guest book, we were shown our rooms for the night. What a nice surprise, after spending the day on a bus, all we wanted to do, was to explore our billets, unpack and freshen up for dinner. The rooms are absolutely beautiful, very well stocked with everything from a microwave to DSTV – just bring your own card! Set in beautiful gardens with rolling lawns, a sparkling pool and ducklings waddling around, this was heaven. The wonderful shower, complete with all paraphernalia and soft white towels did the trick and we were ready for our dinner at Damas.

At the foot of the Brandwag Mountains, only five minutes from Worcester, you will find Damas Restaurant and Guest House. This Restaurant started life as a dam – yes, you did read dam – in fact, it was a round cement dam that was converted into the original restaurant. Extentions were made and since then, Damas caters for weddings and other functions such as conferences as well. We arrived as the sun set and were welcomed by Anzel, a new face and part of Worcester Tourism. The restaurant is well known for its steaks and a few of those were consumed! The most delicious butternut soup was followed by very substantial main meals and few still had room for desert. After relaxing outside on the verandah with coffee, we boarded our bus and returned to Reeds Country Lodge for a well deserved rest.

I did want to strangle the rooster, who crowed at 4:15, but other than that, my bed was wonderful and after a hearty breakfast, we departed for Willow Creek Estate. This farm, situated in the Nuy Valley has yielded quality agricultural product for the Rabie family for the past 200 years and owner Andries Rabie realized the potential for olive cultivation in the 1990’s.Since then, the estate has established itself as one of the leading olive oil producers and has received international acclaim. One thing that I have noticed about all the staff at the estates in this area is that they are really friendly and do their best to make everybody feel welcome. After tasting some olive oil, olives and wonderful tapenade, we obviously had to purchase some as presents – Christmas is coming, we waved farewell and boarded the bus for a visit to the Conradie Family Vineyards

The Conradie Family Vineyards is nestled in the picturesque Nuy valley just outside Worcester and the farm Werda has been in the family since 1871. CP Conradie and his sister, Elsabe are the fifth generation family winemakers and having inherited a passion for winemaking, both are well-qualified and makes an effective and hard working team. CP did a tasting with us and his enthusiasm for the wines he makes in contagious. His wines have won numerous awards and are very drinkable. Imagine living your dream as is surely the case with CP Conradie – what a wonderful enthusiastic winemaker. Good luck with the wonderful 2009 Sauvignon Blanc!

Our next stop was Nuy Wine Cellar for a taste of something sweet. Their white Muscadel served on ice with a slice of lemon, was a clear winner and we all agreed that even if you are not really a sweet wine person, this is a must even if served over vanilla ice-cream in place of syrup. As this was just a quick stop, I delayed things a bit by buying some Nuy Syrah which is my absolute favourite. By now we were feeling decidedly peckish and after another scenic drive with Anzel leading, we arrived at the Karoo Desert National Botanical Gardens.

The Kokerboom Restaurant is situated in the Karoo Desert National Botanical Gardens which is totally unique and the only truly succulent garden in the southern hemisphere and on the African continent. The gardens and restaurant is wheelchair friendly and have a Braille trail of 1000m. Lunch at the Kokerboom was a relaxed affair with a light lunch menu and much talking and discussing of all we have seen during our Media Educational of the Breede Valley.

Because this area is not as well known as the Boland, it is still pretty rural and unspoilt by commercialism. Imagine grabbing a few friends and hiring a bus, large or small, and doing the whole Breede Valley. With all the wonderful places and people this area is a must to all who visit South Africa. Even our locals – come one – make the trip it is worth every minute.

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