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Published: July 27th 2015
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Let's get back to my old-fashion habit of writing blogs...from the lounge of an airport. We came back 60 hours ago at home in Bangkok. I brought the kids yesterday to the airport for their flight to Saigon. They have well arrived, and I can confirm, their new activity over the coming weeks, will be mainly to stick to their computer...I know, this is not right, but it's like this. Don't worry, beside this blog, there are two more coming about South Africa, with a lot of smiles from Tiffany and Leslie, and not much computer time!
On my side, I'm awaiting my flight to... for the next adventure. It feel a little like jumping continents, but it's simple what it is. The last 3 days have been running ones for me...job done, bills paid, did go through my little list, hope I didn't forget anything!
So here we are...in South Africa I love the diving, I love the golfing...hunting for food products is also pretty fun if you love to cook...and huge steaks cost nothing...and there is wine! Serious wine! You may have read this before...and no, we are not back in Argentina. One
simple reason for not moving to Argentina, there is not much great diving in Argentina!
I first have to thanks Myles from Durban. He is one of the two owners of the best wine shop around Durban, based in La Lucia Mall. Over the last year, he has introduced me to some pretty amazing wines. Yes, a visit to his shop is never a short one...but always a very cheap one when compared to the quality. So when we told him 3 weeks ago that we would be touring the wine area, he told me, let me sort it out for you!
With two teenagers, I have no plan to taste wine from 9am to 6pm....so we went simply, to some of the best! First visit, late morning, for Vergelegen. These guys will never sale well overseas....how could you with such a name, but those wines are just amazing...and yes, way more impressive from some of the big names like Meerlust. Don't take me wrong, I have been drinking more than one bottle of Vergelegen with well connected friends. But today was special! Winery in South Africa don't really bother you with visiting the
winery, they jump straight on to the tasting, and here, we had the very special grand tour.
I went with our host to chose what we would be tasting. The plan for me was to be able to map their different wines. We started first by their pretty rare bubbly...No need to be snob here, their bubbly is way better than many Champagne I have drunk before! Sadly, you will basically only find it at the Winery! So you imagine, there is a bottle standing in my fridge, awaiting for another good opportunity to share those bubbles!
Next, a flight of three Sauvignon Blanc....the day-to-day one....that would cost you around 7-8usd...a bargain! Next came the serious reserve one, both from 2014....and next something special...South African Sauvignon Blanc, does age well....and that special 2007, was very nice and very special...and is today in my fridge too! Interesting to note that a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand has to be drunk as soon as possible, while here, the white grape has some serious potential with a little bit of ageing!
After this, we made our way to the serious stuff, a flight of
three blends...just short of amazing! These are easier to find, so they didn't made their way home, but were enjoyed in South Africa! All this to finish with a little Semillon sweet wine! I know, I'm writing we...because I do believe in educating the kids when it comes to nice products. And let be honest, the best way to avoid binge drinking for 18 years old young adults, isn't it to make sure the only think they have tested is pretty amazing! All this, one step at a time....one year at a time!
After this wonderful welcome at Vergelegen, I drove the 15 minutes wine road to Restaurant 96 Winery Road...another amazing lunch, this time with a serious Pinot Noir with my lamb shank! There is something wonderful about this region, it is the diversity of grapes they can work well. This from the very South African Chenin Blan or Pinotage, to the Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir or other Shiraz, with some amazing Sauvignon Blanc, and yes, pretty amazing bubbles too!
We were a little early, so I brought the kids to visit Ernie Els winery. After all, this is the week of the
British Open in St Andrews! No tasting this time. I know his flagship wine, slightly overpriced, but I'm not a huge fan of the Big Easy. Next was waiting something way more special for us. Jeremy Walker, the winemaker at Grangehurst was waiting to welcome us to tour his wines! Yes, not the winery, we went straight to the tasting, amazing 2006 Pinotage, amazing 2006 Grangehurst Blend, and yes, he even introduced us to his little new young baby, a seriously decent rose! We were too busy having an amazing time, that I found on later while driving, I didn't even take a simple picture at Grangehurst!
Ok, as you can imagine, I don't spend 20 minutes per winery! With the welcome we receive, it's more like 90 minutes per winery...and I have to push myself to leave each place! But sunset is at 5.30pm, and we wanted to work out some of that wine with Leslie. No he is not drinking, he is tasting...but we like to spend time outside too! So to finish the afternoon, we play the back 9 holes at Erinvale, another gorgeous place to hit the little white ball!
Tonight we stay at the Erinvale Estate...a simply gorgeous place in the middle of the vines! There is rugby on tonight, so a pub/sport bar grub will do it....some more nice wine, no driving for me...and tomorrow morning, we wake up early. Early morning are sunny here, but freezing ones, just below 10 degrees! This morning, we are playing the championship golf course of De Zalze just South of Stellenbosch. It's Sunday morning, the course is packed and we play with a charming Chinese couple who live in Namibia. Leslie is doing pretty well, this courses are still just a little too challenging for Tiffany...but that will come too! So Tiffany enjoyed a nice Sunday walk with us that morning!
Next, you know it, Cape Town is coming...I just have to select the pictures and write the blog! Tonight I'm sleeping in the plane...and in 2 days, I'm sleeping in another airport, so guess the next blog will come too from an airport!
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