Tasting Notes

Adam writes:

From the time that Jess and I learned that we would be serving in South Africa, I was adamant that we needed to visit the country’s wine regions. And though South Africa has many regions all over the Western Cape province, with our limited timeline we decided to settled on the oldest and most renowned: Stellenbosch, Paarl, and Franschoek. I had one goal for this trip: To get a feel for what was really happening with South African wines. I am happy to say that we succeeded.

My only previous experience with wines from this country has been a few inexpensive bottles back home in hopes of finding a bargain and only a few bottles here that were affordable on our stipend. I can’t say that I was ever impressed with my samplings. But as I had found out in California, you need to go to a place, taste at the source, and talk to the people who live and work there to fully understand the wines of a region.

Our first stop was L’Avenir who have some of the oldest plantings of pinotage in the country. This winery came highly recommended and rightfully so. From the beginning I was impressed with the focus and polish of these wines. Where previous South African wines were rustic in character and often out of balance, these were precise. We started with the Chenin Blanc (2010). This wine smelled of wildflowers and yellow citrus fruits and filled the mouth with delicate flavors of both. It finished clean with bright and mouthwatering acidity. The next was the new vintage of Pinotage (2010) which was made in a light and fruity style and served slightly chilled. It was a rush of bright and ripe fruit flavors with a delicate structure and clean acidity. After that we moved on to a Cabernet Sauvignon (2008) and I have to admit I was more than a bit skeptical. One whiff from the glass revealed that these grapes were grown high up in the hills and as I am a big fan of “mountain fruit” in my cabs, I started to get excited. Beautiful aromas of damp earth, stone, leather, cocoa, cigar box, and dried plums and raisins started coming from the glass. On the palate the wine was full and lush with flavors of cassis, black berries, leather, tobacco, and dark chocolate flooding the palate. This wine had structure and big tannins. This may not have been the best Cab I have tasted, but I immediately wanted to buy a case to lie down and a case to serve to my friends when they came over. At this point, I was surprised and impressed. We then moved to another Pinotage (2007), this one made in a fuller style and to age. Though after the Cab this one doesn’t come back to mind as fully, I do remember it as being reminiscent of Zinfandel in its fruit and structure. I also remember that this was when I started to believe the argument that Pinotages can be aged. We finished with the Grand Vin Pinotage (2007). This wine was densely dark fruit on the nose. Cherries, plums, cassis, and berries came through with earth, cocoa, and a hint of leather. The wine was silk on the palate. A full bodied wine that was soft and lush in the mouth like the finest Merlots that I’ve tasted, and then the flavors exploded. Plum and cherries, tobacco and cocoa, the flavors were ripe and full. This wine was still immense though and was proof that some Pinotages do, in fact, need aging. This wine was a revelation. Never had I thought that I would find wines like these in South Africa. This wine was poised and polished, it was perfectly balanced and immediately made you want more, and this wine finished forever. It wasn't as delicate or as complex as Bordeuax, it didn’t continue to reveal itself in layers over time, sure it mellowed nicely in the glass, but what this wine did was deliver one amazing mouthful of wine every time. It proved Pinotage could be aged, it proved that Pinotage could be good, and it proved that I was totally wrong about the wines of South Africa.

All that night and into the next morning I was worried. I was worried that we had peaked too soon. I mean, L’Avenir was one of the most highly recommended wineries in all of our literature, what if we had tasted the best first? We headed to Paarl with a slight amount of trepidation. Driving through Paarl didn’t help my spirits. Where as Stelenbosch was a beautiful and quaint town with great architecture and history Paarl was just a modern town. The drive only worsened as we turned from the main road and headed through a neighbor hood that could only be described as a ghetto. We need not have worried as soon we were out in the vineyards again and soon to arrive at Nederburg.

Nederburg is one of the largest and oldest wine farms in the country and has the reputation that comes with all of that. This time Jess and I decided to do two separate tastings which Jess insisted that we share. The result was twelve wines so you will have to excuse me if my memory is a little hazy here. Jess started with the Manor House Sauvignon Blanc (2010) and I had the Winemaster’s Reserve Sauvignon Blanc (2010). While both wines offered plenty of pleasing green notes on the nose Jess’ had a little more fruit. Her wine was also a little softer on the palate with fruit flavors. Mine was more edge and brightness than fruit with a strong acidity and clean finish. Flavors were more of gooseberry and asparagus. We moved on to Chardonnays next, again with Jess tasting the Manor House (2008) and I the Winemaster’s Reserve (2009). Jess’ wine was soft and pleasant on the nose with a hint of green apple and toast but it was thin on the palate and left no more flavor then the light acidity that finished it. My wine was bright fruit and softness with a hint of butter and toast on the palate. It was nice, but it wasn’t winning me over. Next on the Winemaster’s Reserve tasting was a Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé (2009) that was a new addition to Nederburg’s line up. Here was a wine that exploded with bright ripe fruit on the tongue that finished softly yet with a firmness and bright acidity that both cleansed and refreshed the palate. As a few of you may know, dry rosés are becoming a bit of a pet passion for me and this one was a standout. This was a wine that was purpose built for hot summer day drinking, so perfect for Africa. The next wine on the Manor House list was the Cabernet Sauvignon (2008). This wine was still quite dense with a good balance but huge structure. There were all the right elements, blackberry, cassis, subtle earth notes, but it was still too young for me to give an honest review of it. However, I would love to visit this wine a few years from now and see how it’s developed. Jess moved on to the Manor house Shiraz (2008). This wine made me realize that along with Chenin Blanc and Pinotage, South Africa’s standout varietals, I needed to start paying attention to its Shiraz as well. This wine was enticingly dark and spicy on the nose with stewed fruit. On the palate it was hedonistically jammy without being overripe. It followed through with toast and woody spices with a beautifully round and soft structure. This wine was drinking very well when we tasted it but I am sure will only get better over the next few years. We moved on to the WInemaster’s Reserve Baronne (2009). This was a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. It was bright and blushing with ripe fruit but the tannins were still quite large and a touch harsh. Next for both of us was the Ingenuity White Blend (2009). This wine is an eight way blend of which I was actually able to pick out five varietals, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Riesling, and Gewürztraminer. This wine was beautifully unique. One could find all of the varietals individually in the glass and yet it all came together into one ethereal and gorgeous wine. In the tasting room I described this wine as “sexy” and got laughed at by my wife, but I still stand by this assessment. This wine was more of an experience, like eating at Schwa, all the ingredients were fantastic apart, but they came together as a revelation. I was heartbroken to find out that this wine wasn’t exported to the states. Our final wines at Nederburg where, the Winemaker’s Reserve Edelrood (2008) (a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot) and the Ingenuity Red Blend (2007) (an Italian blend). Between the two Ingenuitys the Edelrood is a bit of a blur. I remember it being nice but in need of some more cellaring. The Ingenuity Red was the most focused and polished wine we had at Nederburg. This wine had layers and layers of spice and dark ripe fruit in both the glass and on the palate. It was big, strong, and bold and yet the tannins were round and lush. This wine finished forever and was probably the most complex wine we would taste on our trip.

Our next stop, and last stop in Paarl, was at Seidelberg. This stop was more for lunch than tasting, but when in Rome. On the whole the wines here where pleasant, fruit filled, straightforward wines. They were all easy drinking and quality, but not really much to write home about. So for the most part I won’t. I will say that if you find these wines in the states at a reasonable price, you will not be disappointed in your purchase. These wines are workhorses and will pair beautifully with food. There were a couple of exceptional exceptions though. The first was the Roland’s Reserve Syrah (2006). I don’t know who Roland is, but he obviously knows his Shiraz. My tasting notes from that day are as follows: “Beautifully soft and round, brooding dark fruit and dark chocolate, long finish, focused and polished.” And that is about everything I love in my Shiraz. The other standout was Cecilia (2006). This wine is a blend of Shiraz, Mourvedre, and Malbec. This wine had beautifully ripe fruit, a strong tannic structure and bright acidity that all added up to a deliciously rustic wine. It ended up pairing perfectly with the plate of charcuterie that we had for lunch.

The next morning we headed to Franschoek and our first stop was at Boschendal. I was really excited about this winery as it was highly recommended in the Wine Bible. Unfortunately the tasting was disappointing. Most all of the wines that we tasted were one note and flat. These were easy drinking wines at best. There was a Shiraz that evoked the most passionate response from both of us which was, “I just don’t know about this one”. There was also a Bordeaux blend that was over manipulated. It was not the best way to start the day.

We then pulled into L’Ormarins which has been renamed Anthony Rupert. These were by far the most internationally styled wines that we tasted on our trip. These wines are divided under several labels and we tasted from the Terra del Capo and L’Ormarins labels. We started with the Terra del Capo Pinot Grigio (2010). As some of you may be aware, I am not a fan of Pinot Grigio. It is seldom done right and ends up being a wine with very little flavor and too much acidity. This one was definitely done right. There were hints of tropical fruit to be found in the lovely floral nose. The fruit revealed itself fully on the palate with a light touch of herbaceous quality. The wine was well balanced and had a remarkably long finish. The next wine was the L’Ormarins Sauvignon Blanc (2009). These grapes are grown at a high altitude which results in lots of citrus fruit and green notes throughout the wine. It too had a lingering finish. We then tried the L’Ormarins Chardonnay (2008). This wine had vibrant and crisp fruit of pear and green apple enveloped in butter and toast. The body was creamy and soft with a pleasant and clean finish. Next came the reads lead off by the Terra del Capo Sangiovese (2008) which was delicately light with ripe fruit and firm structure. I found this wine to be delicious on its own but it would be an amazing food wine. The next was the Terra del Capo Arné (2006) which is a blend of equal parts Sangiovese and Merlot. The interesting thing about this wine was that unlike most blends, where the individual varietals are fermented separately and then blended, the grapes in this wine were fermented together. The wine was full of ripe fruit with subtle notes of earth and tobacco and chocolate. It was lush and round and delicate. Again the words polished and focused came to mind. The final red was the L’Ormarins Optima (2006), a Bordeaux blend. This wine was also surprisingly light bodied but it’s delicacy enhanced its subtle flavors of earth, cigar box, and spice that were playing behind its fruit of blackberry and cassis. Overall, Jess and I were very impressed with the offerings here. It had more than made up for our disappointing start to the day.

We ended the day at Delaire, the winery in the clouds. The main purpose of this trip was for Jess to snap photos. As the name suggests, the winery is high up in the mountains and offers spectacular vistas and views. I decided that while she ran around and snapped photos till her heart’s content I would do the tasting. Once again, while in Rome. I was skeptical at first as it seems the winery had transformed more into a high-end resort but I was very glad I did in the end. These were my favorite wines overall from the trip. I was so enthralled by them that I didn’t bother taking notes. So I can only relate to you my overall impressions as I remember them. I tried a Cabernet Franc Rosé (2010) which I remember as being full of strawberry and cassis with a hinting at sweetness. It was delicious and I knew then that I was in for something special. The next was a Sauvignon Blanc (2010) that was varietaly correct with immense focus and bright acidity. There was a Shiraz (2009) that was also amazing in its varietal correctness, a perfect portrait of the grape as wine, faultless. There were two Bordeaux blends that were also fantastic. Though they weren’t replicas of Bordeaux wines, they were evidence to the argument that wines are better when they are blends. Each varietal added something to the wines which were greater than the sum of their parts. Though I forgot to take notes here, I didn’t forget to get distribution information for the Sates so that I could drink them again.

The following morning started with a stop at Kanonkop. This winery came highly recommended from other tasting rooms as a place that made truly South African wines. And that would turn out to be the theme of the day. Finding out the difference between South African wines made for South Africans, and those made for an international market. Finally we were getting to the heart of it all. It was this day that I would soon be able to understand the place and its people through its wines.

Kanonkop was a fantastic starting point for the day. They only make 5 wines of which we were able to taste 3. We started with the Kadette Pinotage Dry Rosé (2010). This rosé was light and straightforward wine. It was fruity and refreshing, and all around crowd pleaser. Then we tasted the Pinotage (2009) which though it wasn’t necessarily the best Pinotage we tasted, it was one of my favorites. It was full of ripe fruit and subtle earth tones. The flavors were almost rustic but the wine itself was well crafted with good structure and a long finish. Where we had tasted Pinotages that were made in a sleek and soft style like a Merlot, this wine was allowed to express its varietal’s true nature, hearty and rustic. This wine was straight forward, delicious, and food friendly. The final wine was the Paul Sauer (2007). I don’t recall what the blend was (though I want to say that it was a Bordeaux blend with a little Pinotage in it). I do remember that this was a bold wine though with a lightness on the palate. Again the layers and complexity weren’t there, but what was there was a magnificently polished fruit forward wine with enticing accents of cigar box and cocoa. Here was the final and most important revelation of the trip. When South Africans make wines for South Africans, the wines are magnificent expressions of fruit with polished and focused structures. These are wines that are easily drunk on their own all night and easily paired with food. There was none of the largeness of California Cabs and there was no need to age these wines for long periods like Bordeuax. These wines were fantastic on release and would age well. They were not collectables, but they were infinitely versatile wines.

The other great thing about Kanonkop was the gentlemen doing our tasting. Not only was he a wealth of information about the region and its history, but he also helped us map out the rest of our day. He laid out a tour of wineries that would illustrate South African wines made for South Africans. As he put it, “You don’t understand our wines and we don’t understand yours.” So Jess and I set out to understand their wines.

The next stop was Bellevue Estate. This is one of the oldest wine farms in South Africa. Bellevue produces two labels, the first is the Morkel label which is the traditional family run label, and the second is the Sizanani Label which is actually produced by the farm workers themselves. Both labels had some delicious wines. We started with the Morkel Sauvignon Blanc (2009) which was bursting with tart green apples with vibrant acidity and a light finish. Then we moved on to Pinotages. First was the Sizanani Pinotage (2008). This wine was light on the palate and full of ripe fruits. With good structure and a long finish this was another food friendly wine. The Morkel Pinotage (2008) had a little more structure and more earthy notes and hints of oak and vanilla. We finished with the Morkel Tumara (2005), another Bordeaux blend. This one was quite jammy and soft and light on the palate. It finished brightly as well, though I didn’t enjoy it near as much as the Pinotages.

We then made our way to Simonsig which specializes in sparkling wines but also has a long list of still wines. Though I tried one of the sparklers, the Kaapse Vonkel, I was less than impressed. It was musty and sour where it should have been bright and crisp. Luckily the still wines were more impressive. We started there with the Chenin Avec Chêne (2009). This Chenin Blanc was fantastic. There was a touch of oak that mellowed the fruit to make it soft and lush on the palate. There was a level of restraint by the winemaker that could be tasted and it had done wonders for this wine. With higher hopes for this winery now established I moved on to the Viognier Sur lie en barrique (2007). As the French translation implies, this wine sits on its lees for 12 months in the barrel. The result is a buttery and smooth wine with light fruit and a delicate acidity. Next was the Redhill Pinotage (2008) named after the red soil in which it grows. This wine showed classic characteristics like bright and ripe dark skinned fruits with a soft finish with hints of vanilla. Then there was the Merindol Syrah (2007) which smelled of earth, spice and stewed fruit. It was the same on the palate with the spice coming through strong on the finish. This wine was bigger and quite bold, a nice wine to revisit in a couple more years. We finished with the Tiara (2004) which was another Bordeaux blend. This wine had pleasant fruit and a nice structure and was impeccably balanced, but it lacked the character of the single varietal offerings.

The next stop was by far our favorite and one of the best wine farms we visited, Mooiplaas Estate. We started with our favorite wine of the trip, the Chenin Blanc (2010). Here was a wine with complexity and layers. The fruit was light and delicate and nuanced. The wine was lush in the mouth, perfectly balanced, and had a refreshing finish that finished forever. This wine is sold on winepress.com and I immediately wanted to go online and order a bottle to be delivered to all of my wine loving friends back home so that they too could taste this amazing wine. We next tasted the Sauvignon Blanc (2010). This wine was bright and lively displaying all that I love in a Sauvignon Blanc, seductive tropical fruits and soft green notes. It was light and delicate with a softness that came from a touch of oak. Next was the Langtafel Rosé (2009) which was another bright and refreshing pink wine. We moved on to the Pinotage (2007) which had been made in a light and fruity style that could be served lightly chilled. Its fruit was lively and expressive which made the wine easy to drink. Then there was a Cabernet Franc (2006). As a few of you may know, I am a big fan of Cab Franc as a single varietal wine. It has a character uniquely all its own that I am a sucker for. This wine was no exception. Full of earth, spice, tobacco, cigar box, and dark brooding fruit that always remind me of the wine and the soil, this was a beautiful expression of place. The tannins were still a little aggressive and this wine needs time to lay and mellow, but I really wanted a case of it to hold onto and wait for. We finished with The Bean (2009). This wine is what is referred to in South Africa as a coffee Pinotage. An interesting wine, the Pinotage is heavily manipulated with oak in order to extract the strongest coffee characteristics from the grape. A bit of a novelty that is in high fashion right now, the wine had fruit that was jammy bordering on the sweet and finished with solidly coffee flavor. Apparently this wine is introducing a whole new section of the wine drinking population to red wines with its easy drinking, familiar flavors, and low tannins.

We finished the day at Kliene Zalze where we tasted several Chenin Blancs. There was a barrel fermented Chenin that I enjoyed for its softness and a Select Cuvee (2007) that I liked because it was made with a hint of sweetness in a classic French style. All had nice fruit and delicate acidity. There was also a bracing Chardonnay and a disappointing Pinot Noir. Overall, the Chenins were nice wines, but everything else seemed to lack.

The last day included two wineries which I don’t have tasting notes for, Tokara and Verde en Lust. Both had amazing views and vistas and two of our favorite tasting rooms. Both offered wines that were, as we realized now, quintessentially South African. Beautiful fruit, great structure, and focused. All of the wines were great for drinking on their own and exceptionally food friendly. I would recommend any wines you might come across from either winery. And I think that sums up our trip nicely. South African wines are focused and polished. And even though they may lack a level of complexity that we wine lovers, well, love, they drink beautifully on their own, pair well with food, and, if the import tax isn’t too steep, are a really good buy for the money. Almost 90% of the wines we tasted and fell in love with cost between 60 and 100 Rands. That converts to roughly $9 -$15! So even if the price doubles with import taxes that’s still only $20 - $30, and believe me, these wines drink far better than that. I know I will be paying a lot more attention to South African wines both here and when we come home.

Travelogue: Wine Country

Jess writes:

We arrived in Stellenbosch on a late, December (yet summery) afternoon – it was difficult to be entirely frustrated by the complete lack of proper directions to our backpacker as we were surrounded by unbelievably beautiful Cape Dutch buildings and oak lined streets. Stellenbosch, South Africa’s second-oldest European settlement (established in 1679), still looks today like a Victorian blast from the past, and is pretty amazing… even just to be lost in.

When we finally arrived at Stumble Inn, we set up our comfortable “base camp” for our 5 Day Wine Country Tour – easily the most anticipated trip for Adam. We had heard of the Pinotages, the Chenin Blancs, the food, and the scenery… but now we were finally here! And even though it was already past midday, we figured, why wait?? So back out we go to start our touring…

Wine Country Tour – Day 1:

After a brief lunch at Java Café of smoked salmon wraps and cold drink (ahh, the food is already proving to be up to the hype!), we followed the map up the main road from Stellenbosch to L’Avenir, an easy jaunt from downtown but with an almost introductory status in the wine region – good views, good Pinotage, good service. And more than ‘good’ it was! From the driveway, we looked out upon the rolling hills and jagged grey and black mountains of rock that surround the entire valley. Bright purple, orange, and yellow flowers were in bloom and the greens were as bright and diverse as the summer could muster – grasses, trees, shrubs, and vines – like a water color backdrop on an oil painting! The tasting room at L’Avenir was almost equally as impressive, with huge black & white photography of the local, day-to-day life – cows being herded into pens, large village women picking grapes in the vineyards, the sun setting behind the last-lit trees – as well as the obligatory stack of bottles (but these were filled with rose, which made for a pretty cool effect) and some barrels strewn about the room.

The woman there suggested that we make a stop at Muratie Estate, just up the road, even though we would probably forego their tastings that specialized in sweet wines. The winery, she explained, was one of the oldest in existence and had been left, quite literally, untouched while still in operation. This was worth a visit… We pulled into an field that served doubly as a parking lot and walked up the unmanicured paths to the main building. Entering the winery itself was like walking into a themed Disney ride – with suddenly cool air, cold and moist rock walls, and an abundance of cobwebs that looked to be older than even the crumbling foundations outside. The tasting rooms were built with arched stone and decorated with everything from animal skin rugs to realism-style paintings in gawdy frames. And while we did choose to pass up on the tastings (Adam decided anything that smelled this old simply could not provide a pleasant tasting experience!) the look around alone was well worth the time!

Wine Country Tour – Day 2:

A late morning stop at Mila’s Cake Shop for the biggest and fluffiest croissants with bread and jam, accompanied by extremely strong French-press coffee, and then we were off…

Day 2 would be spent almost entirely in Paarl – and area with the least amount of literature and only a handful of well-known vineyards. This would certainly turn out to be a day of happenchance!

We headed straight to Nederburg, the only winery listed in both The Wine Bible and Lonely Planet as a must-see in the Paarl region. The drive out there took us through meandering townships and oddly situated villages, leading us to wonder whether or not Paarl would be worth the visit at all. But upon entry into the Nederburg Estates, we enjoyed a leisurely drive through more familiar, vineyard-esque terrain to the expansive Nederburg visitor and tasting center. We spent a couple hours there enjoying two different ranges of tastings (from their “Manor House” to their “Winemaster’s Reserve” selections) and chatted at length with one of the proprietor’s about the growing styles of the regional grapes, the history of the Paarl estates, and her suggestions for other top picks.

After Nederburg, we made a quick stop at Fairview Winery with the intention of experiencing their well-known lunches at the Goatshead Eatery. With lunchtime in full-swing, we opted only to look around and take in the unique lure of Fairview – a goat turret with wrap around stairs that serves as a goat tower marking the center of the estate. And yes, it houses actual goats which are the mascot of Fairview’s trademark “Goats do Roam” reserve wines! How clever!

With the thought of food still on the brain (or rather, stomach), we wandered further up the road to another local suggestion – Seidelberg Wine Estate. Seidelberg’s location is atop one of the higher ranges in Paarl, lending to incredible views of the vineyards and valleys below. In their old-style tasting room we enjoyed some interesting whites before opting for a relaxing picnic of meats, olives and cheeses on their grassy front lawn, overlooking the scenery. Ahhhh…

Making our way back to Stellenbosch, we took another road with gorgeous views of the western edges of the wine region. In the far distance, hidden partially by late afternoon haze, we could see the large white cloud beginning its descent over Table Mountain in Cape Town. The “Table Cloth”, as they call it, was a pretty magnificient image to end our second day!

Wine Country Tour – Day 3:

We headed out early to make it to Franschoek in time for the first tastings of the morning. This, after Stellenbosch itself, is one of the top-rated wine valleys in the region, with at least a dozen of suggestions from The Wine Bible, Lonely Planet, and winery locals – not to mention the rave reviews about their food (they were settled by French Huegenots, afterall)!

First to Boschendal Winery – a staple amongst the Franschoek vineyards, known largely for its intriguing blends. The impressive, tree-lined entry led to fields of bush grapes and young vines below some of the parts of the valley’s mountain ranges. The tasting room itself was set along one side of a grassy quad, flanked by Cape Dutch buildings and a stable – pretty impressive!

After a quick drive through town to get our bearings, we made our way to L’Ormarins (or Anthony Rupert Winery, as it is now known) and took the rather lengthy drive up the hills to their main visitor’s center… which, to our surprise, was also an antique and exotic car museum!! We meandered a bit and marveled not only at the two Ferrari Californias, Aston DB9, and Jaguar XKR (Adam obviously knew the actual models, not myself…), but also the nifty selection of antique Buicks, Fords, and Cadillacs! From there, we were taxied even further up into the hills to the actual winery, with a tasting room perched amidst an old Dutch estate with incredible views of the Franschoek valley below. Our tasting there was perhaps one of the most informative, with stories about how wines were named after friends of past vintners and tales of adventure during the L’Ormarins legacy.

With empty stomachs, we headed just up the road to Moreson to try out their new Bread & Wine restaurant and it’s acclaimed charcuterie menu… oh yes, acclaimed it is!! With a couple glasses of white in hand, we munched away the rest of the afternoon on salamis, hams, soft & hard cheeses, hand-made and spiced butter, artisan breads and, of course, plenty of olives! Oh yum!!

As evening was approaching, we began the journey from one valley to the next, over the mountains, to Stellenbosch. On our way, we noticed that DeLaire Winery was still open for tastings, and since we had heard so much about their incredible views, we figured a quick stop for some sunset photos might not be a bad idea. This, surprisingly, was one of our best stops of the entire Wine Tour Week… the views from DeLaire – the highest situated vineyard in the entire region – were unbelievably breathtaking and the sun setting over the mountains cast shadows and a pink glow over the green hills, purple flowers, and rolling vineyards below. Yeah… pretty amazing! And the outside was just the beginning – inside, DeLaire was more a modern art museum-turned-tasting-venue with massive oil canvasses, sculptures, water features, and ornate lighting fixtures. It was difficult not to walk around the entire area – both inside and out – without a gaping mouth. But the views and décor were only a bonus! Because on a whim, Adam decided to do a tasting while I was snapping away a gigabyte or two of photo space and, again, much to our surprise, these were some of the best reds we tasted all week!! I will let him do the full explanations in his post on tastings, but suffice it to say that we were both taken aback!

Finally back at “base camp”, we stumbled away from The Stumble Inn for some grub in town and, per usual, we were indecisive on what to eat, so we wandered until something caught our eye: Japanese Tapas. Yes, we could do that. Genki – a Japanese restaurant, with a rather old Japanese sushi chef – was set back in a courtyard amongst niche storefronts. Its interior posted mirror-mosaiced walls, bamboo texturing, and an unbelievable amount of pink and red Chinese lanterns lighting the ceiling. Again yes, we could do that. We ordered reasonably light since we had already pushed the limits of our budget on Franschoek that day, but decided upon first bite that this was some of the best Japenese food we had ever had… ever! We both ordered simple starters and rather light meals, but as we were quick to discover, there was nothing simple or light in this Japanese – my miso soup was the most unbelievably complex and flavorful miso concoction, the sashimi salad was divine with the freshest cuts of salmon and line fish in a spicy sesame dressing, the tempura prawns were enormous and perfectly battered, and of course, the sushi and nigiri were perfection. Yes, we did do that. In fact, we did it again before leaving the area and would have fit in another visit if time allowed… it was that good!

Wine Country Tour – Day 4:

Today was our semi-pre-scheduled, whirl-wind tour of anything and everything Stellenbosch had to offer… and what a day!

First stop was at Kanonkop for some of the region’s most “classic” Pinotages and a quick spin around their small wine estate – the highlight of which was a quote above the entrance that read: “Pinotage is the juice extracted from women’s tongues and lions’ hearts… After having a sufficient quantity one can talk forever and fight the devil.” Amazing!! The gentleman who assisted our tasting was particularly helpful and virtually planned the remainder of our Stellenbosch tour for us, with suggestions and honest opinions on the very long list of potential stops for the day.

Per suggestion, we made our next visit to Simonsig Vineyards, for another style of “classic” Pinotages, as well as some of the region’s only sparkling wines. Their tasting room boasted some of the most interesting décor to date – with chandeliers made entirely out of china serving sets (yes, think plates, bowls, and saucers) and a mélange of photography, drawings, and oddly chosen sculptures. Nevertheless, we did get to see Simonsig’s “classic” side when one of the proprietors opened a sparking white wine bottle with a saber… impressive!

Next up was Bellevue Estate – along with Muratie, one of the oldest in Stellenbosch, established in 1701 – and looking probably not much different than it did in its first few years. The tasting room was small, dusty, and smelled of years and years of crushing, fermenting and bottling. Outside, there were large expanses of open green fields where vineyards once stood (they are now further up on the hills) and Morgen horses have now taken the place of red and green grapes.

After what seemed like an indeterminably long drive, up unkempt dirt roads, following small and virtually illegible signs, we arrived at our fourth stop of the day – Mooiplaas Winery. As we pulled into their small dirt lot, almost a half hour after leaving the main road, Adam and I were fairly convinced that this would not be worth the time and effort it took to get there. We were, quite happily, very wrong. Mooiplaas’s out-of-the-way and way-the-hell-up-there location makes for some of the most interesting and incredible whites in the entire area. In particular, their Chenin Blanc (which again, I’m sure Adam will discuss in much more detail) was by far the best white wine I have ever experienced… and that’s saying a lot coming from a girl that has a strong preference to her beloved reds. We were also the only visitors at the tasting room upon our arrival, so the tasting manager was keen to explain – in quite a bit of detail – the ways in which their whites compared with others in the region, versus reds in the region, and how this was all done with certain growing, bottling and aging techniques. And did I mention that they had my favorite tasting room of all? Entirely stone – with large stone slabs for tasting tables, a rugged stone wall extending to the height of the ceiling, and beautifully marbled and naturally chipped stone floors. Cool, stark, and yet one of the most inviting rooms I’ve ever seen. What a great stop!

Last but not least, though mostly in search of food, we made a stop on the outer edges of Stellenbosch at Kleine Zalze. This long standing estate has been producing easy drinking wines since 1695, but unfortunately, their restaurant was overpriced, so we did not stay long. Shame.

Back in town, we had made reservations at a local, ‘must-dine’ restaurant called Volkskombuis & De Oewer. We felt a bit like Anthony Bourdain in “No Reservations”, but having been in this country for almost a year and never trying traditional, Afrikaans (Cape Malay) cooking, we figured we would give it a go. Not to mention, this place is suppose to be the best of the best… so why not? The meal: we started with a popular appetizer of schnook (shredded fish and spices), Adam ordered the ox-tail strew, and I ordered a tasting tri of chicken pie, bobotie (a spiced mince), and a ‘water lily’ (read as: meat) stew… what a feast of meat!! I could only get about a third of the way through my mean before I was about to burst!!! And while it was a great culinary adventure, I’m not so certain that we would ever have the ‘urge’ for that style again. Nevertheless, we found a lot of pleasure in discovering that there is one nationality that can officially eat more than Americans… and they do!

Wine Country Tour – Day 5:

Our final day in Wine Country was a wrap-up of ‘must-sees’ and ‘must-dos’ that we had not quite yet fit in. But it was, nonetheless, one of our most relaxed and enjoyable days in the region.

First, a stop at Tokara in the early afternoon to take in the views (it is situated in an area similar to DeLaire) and absorb the modern-art-lovers-esque style of the winery itself. While walking down hallways lined with canvasses painted in various varietals of red wine, reading the branches of the sculpted “Poetree” (read: “Poetry Tree”) outside, and marveling at the largest no-casing clock I’ve ever seen (Dad would have loved this one!), we enjoyed not only a free tasting of Tokara’s interesting reds, but also some of their incredible olive oils. Rosés, bread, and olive oil – now that’s what I call brunch!

From there we headed straight back through downtown Franschoek to make a reservation at Café Bon Bon, located in the Kleine Dauphine Wine Estate. This lunch, planned weeks in advance, was my belated birthday feast, saved especially for the French cuisine stylings of the Franschoek valley. We sat on the patio leisurely, enjoying a birthday lunch of meats, cheeses, olives, breads, butters (oh, and that was just the starter…), as well as artisan salads and pork belly! Yummy!!

Headed back towards Stellenbosch, we made one final stop at Vrede en Lust Winery, with their long, stone entranceway and amazing tasting room vista views. This was one of the most impressive tasting rooms we had seen yet, with long mahogany tables decorated with white orchids, overstuffed leather couches beside tables with antique estate books, and a breeze patio leading directly into the vineyards at the foothill of the mountains! All the women in the tasting room wore fashionable, bright red, dresses and were well-versed in the colorful history of the estate. The wines themselves ranged from chilled whites, to bold reds, and even a blush blend called “Jess” – how nice!

Once we had arrived back to “base camp”, we spent a lazy evening at The Stumble Inn with some fellow, now-familiar, travelers and made one last outing to my new favorite stop in town – a gellateria that served a dark chocolate and orange ice cream confection that was purely divine!! Adam also partook in some spirits at the Inn’s local haunt – The Trumpet Tree – for one last taste of Stellenbosch’s buffet of offerings to wine-lovers, food-lovers, and travel-lovers alike.

Thus – filled to the brim with Pinotages, Chenin Blancs, and high-growing blends; bursting at the seams with breakfast pastries, charcuterie plates, Japanese Tapas, and don’t forget the gelato; and feeling as though we had experienced a complete immersion in the astounding beauty that is the vineyards, hills, and mountains of South Africa’s wine region… we contentedly fell asleep on that last night.

Goodnight Stellenbosch. Goodbye Wine Country. Thanks for the indulgence of a lifetime!!

RWO: Have Your Cake, and Eat it Too

Jess writes:

Early on in our training, we learned an important distinction between the word for “chicken” and the word for “cake” in Zulu & SiSwati. “Chicken” is pronounced as “inkhukhu” in both languages, whereas “cake” is pronounced, coincidentally similar, as “khukhu”. Not really a big deal, right? I mean, it can’t be so bad to say, “I like cake” when you actually mean to say, “I like chicken”… could it? Well, it turns out that “cake” actually translates to mean something rather crude about female anatomy, so when our friend stated “I would like some cake” in Zulu, he was very quickly (and very frantically) corrected by one of our LCFs. Luckily, after being here for nearly a year, we have found that actual cake doesn’t seem to be such a popular thing in South Africa, so luckily we haven’t run into too many problems… but it’s still handy to know!!

RWO: Coombies, Bakkies & Donkeys, Oh My!

Jess writes:

South Africa has several modes of transportation, the least of which (at least for PCVs) is the car.

First and foremost, is the “coombie” (spelled an assortment of different ways by different people). This public, mini-van taxi is used by almost all the locals, including PCVs, for all their daily transportation needs. The taxis, which resemble older models of Dodge Cargo vans, comfortably seat 13 people (3 per row and 1 up front)… So therefore, the minimum in each taxi is usually 16 (3-4 per row and 1-2 up front). And now a couple things about the coombies: 1) the seats are almost always broken, so getting from row to row is often tricky; 2) the speakers are almost always too big, meaning you will often hit your head as you move from row to row; 3) the windows are almost always kept close, so you wish you could just die from the heat; 4) the coombies are always full, which means you will likely be squeezed between at least a couple of overweight gogos or mothers, as well as their 6 shopping bags, 3 bags of produce, umbrella and purse, and at least one child.

Second, is the “Bakkie” – basically just the South African term for a truck with either an open or closed bed. These are not “permissible” forms of transportation for PCVs, but they are nevertheless one of the most common forms of transportation for workers, especially in the Nkomazi area. With such a large population of migrant workers, we see bakkies with no fewer than 6-10 people in the bed, crouching from the wind, rain, or sun. To date, the most impressive sighting was a bakkie with a large cage frame for shuttling cattle in which there must have been at least 20 workers crossing back over the border into Swaziland. And we thought coombies were squished…

Finally, are the donkeys. And no, these are not common modes of transportation in South Africa (they are, however, in Lesotho), but I mention them here because of a humorous discovery early on in our service. That is: a donkey actually costs less in South African than a bike. Yup, about r400 for a donkey, as compared to a minimum of r700 for a bike. Thus, when Peace Corps offered us bike stipends for getting to and from work, there was more than a few of us that considered the donkey option instead… none of us actually followed-through, of course, but it certainly would have made for a more entertaining commute!!

‘Goodbye 2010 and Hello 2011’ or as it might be more aptly titled, ‘The Times They Are a Changin’

Jess writes:

First and foremost, Happy New Year to everyone!! Sorry we’re a little-more-than belated on the New Year wishing, but we’ve been keeping very busy (and very entertained) on the road with fellow PCVs!! And have been knee-deep in beginning-of-the-year work upon our return to Thembalethu!!

But prior to the start of work, Adam and I arrived back to site from not only some incredible Holiday vacationing, but also from celebrating a relaxed New Years Eve in Graskop – including New Years Day pancakes and a great trip into Kruger – accompanied by some of our favorite fellow PCVs! And before I delve into a plethora (and I mean literally a myriad and massive number) of Travelogues, RWOs, and other ponderings covering the past month, I felt it necessary to put up this New Years post. Not only mark the new year itself, but more importantly, to commemorate the passing of a year that has been full of changes and the entering of a year that should bring about some pretty amazing changes as well! So where to begin…

2010 was certainly chalk-full of happenings – both wonderful and difficult. At the very start, Adam and I embarked on an adventure that can easily be described as our most momentous to date – a Peace Corps service invitation to Africa. And while it would be impossible to sum up a whole year’s worth of living and working here in words alone, I can definitely claim that it has been one of the most life-changing events that we have ever experienced. I would not try to fool ourselves or others by saying that it has been easy – not in the slightest. Training, placement, site change, adjustment… the past eleven months have actually been some of the most trying times of our marriage together. And we have often found ourselves in late-night conversations about our complete understanding of South Africa’s highest early volunteer termination rate in global Peace Corps – with its extreme first-world/third-world dichotomy and the very complex remnants of Apartheid and governmental evolutions. Nevertheless, even in the midst of our most difficult times, we often find ourselves appreciating, ever more gratefully, the many ways in which we have seen each other grow – our increased level of patience, our capacity to discuss and empathize, and our ability to smile at even the smallest joys in our day-to-day life. Furthermore, we’ve been introduced to an entirely new breadth of finding happiness in life and it has helped us to put into perspective the way in which we face our challenges and celebrate our successes.

Back home, as always does, life has continued on for our families. And we have both cried and smiled at the changes we hear about in phone calls, read about in emails, or see in photos…

Adam’s family has had some incredible successes in their newest professions – Nate found a great fit at a new position in Davenport, Don has been a force for impacting economic change in the city of LaSalle, and Donna has entered new waters as Fund Development Director at Adam and Gina-Marie’s alma-mater, St. Bede Academy. Following these transitions, Donna also returned to school to pursue a graduate degree in the development sector! Thus, I have been witness to several phonecalls and emails describing the many tribulations of masters work… and though I can sympathize fully (fully!!), I also know that she can and will make it through in time!

Speaking of achievements, Grandma Mary celebrated a healthy, happy and incredibly momentous birthday in November – the big 9-0!!!! A huge party was organized and she found herself surrounded by nearly one hundred friends and family from across the nation! And though Adam and I were heartbroken to miss the event, Adam’s parents set up a photo frame with our picture on one of the main tables so that our presence could be felt!

Added to all of these occasions and changes, we received the happiest Aleksy news of all in 2010 when Gina-Marie and Nate called to announce that they were expecting!! And while they are still holding off on finding out if we will be welcoming a niece or nephew in mid-February, we have been able to hear about the glorious progression of a baby bump (and even see its start when we visited in August!) and feel all the excitement in their voices as the final months of pregnancy approach! I can honestly say that Adam has been beside himself at the thought of being an Uncle, and while I am usually the one most apt to get excited about little socks and onesie outfits, I think he actually had even more fun at picking out the ‘African Babes’ clothes with lion ears on the front and poofy tails in the back – too cute!!

On my side of the family, we faced an extremely tough start to the year with a funeral service for my Papa Ben and the loss of my Granma shortly thereafter. And though the grieving process was necessarily difficult for us all, we were also relieved to know that after over 70 years of marriage, my mother’s parents were not separated from each other for very long. In fact, we smile at the thought of their reuniting – that my grandfather (who is mostly deaf) and my grandmother (who mostly ignores this fact) probably had the following conversation:

Granma: “Daddy, is that you?”
Papa: “What?”
Granma: “Oh yes, daddy, that is you.”
Papa: “What?”
Granma [a little closer/louder]: “It’s me daddy.”
Papa: “Oh, hello mama, what took you so long?”

It most certainly would have happened, perhaps even word for word, in that fashion. *Smile*

For my family, toughest of all in 2010, was the long wait for my mom to get her much-needed and much-delayed hip surgery. This finally took place in October, and although the procedure ended up with more complications than expected, I was able to hear my mom’s voice with almost no pain for the first time in over two year just before the holiday season (that was the greatest present I could have hoped for this year). Best of all, just before the end of 2010, my parents called to inform me that she had attended her third post-op doctor’s visit and taken her first steps entirely on her own!!!

I cannot neglect to include here that my dad, who willingly admits that mom is usually the glue that holds us all together through the toughest times, has been our family’s rock in 2010. And knowing that he has been able to somehow keep it all together for us is the only thing that has made me being so far away through it all possible. And hey, it’s good practice, I’m sure we’ll find more to throw at him over the coming years!

Finally, my sister had what I call the “long haul” year, as she transversed the continental United States (a couple of times, actually) and ended her travels with a new (well, kind of old…long story) love. I exchanged several emails and phone calls with her about this newest re-addition to our family, and the person I believe my sister was always meant to find again in her life – Devin. And another little tidbit… I have actually withheld this post for quite a while so as to finally have permission to announce…

My sister and Devin will be getting married on May 1, 2011!!! So while she has been focusing on the most pertinent of issues at this time – such as housing options and career paths via her new locale in Kentucky – I have been spewing Facebook messages about colors, flowers, and cake flavors – how very typical of each of us!! Anyways, while there are no official “Save the Dates” to be mailed out yet, I am already looking forward to the anything and everything that is a sister’s wedding – a bridal shower, dress shopping, cake tasting (ahh, cake tasting!), and so forth. Now I just need to figure out that whole I-live-in-Africa-and-she-lives-in-the-U.S. thing… hmmm... but, as always, we’ll work it out!!

And there you have it… what a year!! And with that, 2011 begins!!! Needless to say, ‘The Times They [certainly] Are A Changin’! And all I can really say at this point is that we’re looking forward to a great New Year!!