July-2019

30 / TRAVEL / Cape Winelands
TRAVEL / 31
Left: Grape harvesting
(top); Betty’s Bay
(bottom left); Lunch with
wine (bottom right);
Right page: Clarence
Drive near Gordons Bay.
“There are discoveries galore in unusual boutique
wineries, where the focus firmly remains on terroir...
giving the local vino a unique taste of place”
UP CLOSE & PERSONAL
A stone’s throw away is the Cornell Skop, a fascinating
sanctuary run by animal-wrangler Luke Cornell. Take a break
from the wine and get friendly with wild animals, including
zebras, cheetahs and an occasionally hospitable rescued lion;
all of whom feature regularly in film shoots. Advance booking
is essential.
Venture along the R43 – a road littered with farm stalls
– to the coastal area of Hermanus: a town best known for its
southern right whales. Who knew that top-class wine could be
enjoyed next to huge mammals breaching and blowing? There
are now 12 wineries along the Burgundy-style Hemel-en-
Aarde Valley, where soils akin to those in Patagonia – the
most favourable place to grow grapes in Argentina – and
cooling sea winds provide optimum growing conditions.
Where to sleep
La Pastorie, an effortlessly stylish
Victorian house commanding the
Riebeek Valley, is the perfect spot to
wind down and soak up the sunset;
not forgetting a chilled glass of brut.
kloovenburg.com
Fynbos Estate offers both old-style
farmhouse and polished self-catering
houses, set among shrubland and
gardens, an hour’s drive north of Cape
Town. fynbosestate.co.za
Lothian House, which is set among
the rocky outcrops of the Kogelberg
Biosphere Reserve, does James Bondstyle
down to a tee. Expect striking art,
a glass staircase and a modest list
of toys, such as jet skis and a house
drone. lothianvineyards.com
One Marine Drive Boutique Hotel has
chic sea-front rooms, a stylish décor
and excellent attention to detail.
1md.co.za
MEET THE OWNERS
Only recently tarmacked, the road winds up through rugged
mountain scenery; lined with world-class vineyards. Pass
the pioneering Hamilton Russell Vineyards, the garish pink
doors of La Vierge (makers of Jezebelle Chardonnay) and the
art-filled tasting chapel at Ataraxia Wines, before arriving at
Creation Wines in the upper reaches of the valley. Perhaps the
greatest allure of these regions is the option to meet the owners
and winemakers of smaller operations. The people behind the
Tasting Room here must be a smart bunch because it features
a restaurant that brims with creativity. The menu consists of
tapas-style dishes that are carefully constructed from locally
sourced ingredients; offset by an exquisite wine list and an
elaborate range of teas. Of particular note is the Creation
Reserve Pinot Noir (for the wine enthusiast) or a Bains de
Rose tea (for the designated driver).
Wind back via the R44 – the dramatic Clarence Drive
coastal route to Cape Town – stopping in to see the penguins
at Betty’s Bay.
➔
Plan your trip
Book your flight to Cape Town
on kenya-airways.com
Barbara Groen, Getty Images, Alamy
credit xxxxx