Week 240 · Stellenbosch · Franschhoek · Oldenburg · Thelema · Meerlust
Cape
The winelands are about an hour inland from Cape Town — the South African version of Napa Valley. In our original trip we were going to spend the night in the winelands, but with the additional days in Victoria Falls, we made it a long day trip. Many tours were available and we settled on a small group tour that did not have a specific itinerary — and without much cash, took credit cards.
Good decision — we got a great guide and one other couple that was fun, an Irish couple on their honeymoon. They were staying in the town of Stellenbosch so we rode out from Clifton with our guide and during the drive he was describing the area — going through the squatter towns by the side of the highway and heading to a town that he described as "similar to a small US college town — like Athens, Georgia," as Stellenbosch is also the home of one of the larger universities in South Africa. After further discussion he said Athens because he played golf in the US at Augusta State, so Athens is where they went for fun. He was now trained as a Sommelier and we agreed to focus on the Stellenbosch region with a quick side trip to Franschhoek to see the valley.
Wine growing in the Stellenbosch region began in the 1680s — as the Dutch East India Company (VOC) used the Cape as a reprovisioning station on the route to India, settlers tested which crops grew well and wine worked in the Mediterranean-like climate. Jan van Riebeeck planted the first vines in 1655. A group of French Huguenot refugees arrived in 1688, fleeing religious persecution in France following the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. Unable to get along with the Dutch settlers, they were given land in the next valley and named it Franschhoek — "French Corner" in Dutch. South Africa's wine industry was largely cut off from international markets during the apartheid era, limiting quality development. Post-1994, the industry invested heavily and now produces internationally competitive wines, particularly Chenin Blanc, Pinotage, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Cape Winelands district is a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its Cape Dutch architecture.
The side trip to Franschhoek to see the valley was worth it — spectacular. The first winery was Oldenburg in Franschhoek — unbelievable scenery at a small winery. They had new facilities and it had been recently purchased. The wine was good but we were surprised that they didn't recommend buying any — they just told us the best way to order on the internet. That was typical at the places we went. We then followed up with another winery in the same valley — Thelema. Another good experience.
Typical at the places we went — they didn't recommend buying any wine. They just told us the best way to order on the internet. I get the economics of shipping it out rather than carrying it home, but as a wine tourist it is a strange experience.
We then went back to the Stellenbosch area and went to two more and had lunch — L'Avenir and Guardian Peak. Finished the day at Meerlust and a quick tour through the town. Then a couple of days later on our way out of Johannesburg had a wine tasting at the airport and found another couple of good ones.
"He said Athens, Georgia — because he played golf at Augusta State and Athens is where they went for fun. He was now trained as a Sommelier."