When visiting Cape Town, a day (AT LEAST) spent in the winelands is an absolute must – if it’s not your number one thing to do – there is definitely something wrong with you.

There is nothing better than sitting back, sipping on some vino (and perhaps snacking some accompanying cheese, biltong or chocolate) and looking out onto the vineyards that stretch further than the horizon.

We decided that a public holiday meant were going wine-tasting at the great wine farms of Stellenbosch. Having been to many of the incredible farms in Constantia, I was excited to visit the place where so many students spend their money.

We started off at Peter Falke. Yes, he’s the same guy who makes those sporty socks. Although the modern interior of the Cape Dutch building was lovely – we were lucky enough to get a spot outside. Shaded by the umbrellas, we decided we would do the 5 wine tastings. We tasted a sauvignon blanc, a blanc de noir, a pinot noir, a Syrah and their Exclusive Blend. All of the wines were lovely – my favourite being the blanc de noir. The service at this wine farm was incredible and it would be the first one I would go back to. (It always sucks when you peak too soon.)

Next, we were off to Guardian Peak – what a disappointment! We went from the best service to worse than the worst. It took forever to get us a spot and I wont even et started on how long it took to get a wine to taste. The waiter barely took two seconds to explain the wine. We paid for the wine and were out! Although, we did manage to take some lovely photos with the perfect lighting streaming through the big glass windows.

Luckily, we were in Stellenbosch which meant heaps more options!

I think the lack of wine meant the three backseat drivers forgot they weren’t the ones driving. Despite the insane directions I was receiving, we made it to Hidden Valley.

Watch my video here:

I was blown away by the gorgeous lake that housed the farms restaurant – I was almost tempted to ditch the wine and go grab a bite to eat on the water. (This is something I will definitely do someday.) But, alas, we were on a wine tasting mission and myself being the designated driver had to ensure the safety of my passengers. Such a special place would have definitely topped my list – had the tasting area not been placed directly into a wind tunnel. Our waitress did her best as the wind beckoned her to eat her hair and the beautiful Belgium truffles we had chosen to taste almost took flight! The beautiful wine bottles were like nothing we had ever seen. Interesting shapes and sizes made it tempting to buy – even if the wine wasn’t fantastic. (Not that the wine wasn’t fantastic – it was – but I am trying to prove a point.)

Anyways!

We had planned to head over to Franschoek for champagne tasting (or rather, sparkling wine) but sadly the farm was closed. We landed driving up and down the same 10km road three times until we found a spot to have ‘lunch’ – by now it was almost 4pm. We ended our day watching the sun start to set at Devon Valley and although my food wasn’t fantastic, and the beer margarita was deathly, the views made up for it all.

In summary, Peter Falke and Hidden Valley are two treasures! Be sure to put them on your wine-tasting list and I hope you have as wonderful experience as we did.

Love,
Charlie.

P.s Avoid the other one if you are young – perhaps that was their reason for the terrible service.

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