ITTN’s Louise Ducrocq has had the privilege to be on a 4-day FAM trip to Cape Town and Somerset West in South Africa, with Norse Atlantic Airways and South Africa Tourism Board UK, in the company of members of the UK trade Elisa Urdiales of South Africa Tourism Board UK, Andrew Fish of Norse, Attilio Sesti of Trip.com, Riann Ross of Dial A Flight, Fiona Sarre of Travel Counsellors, Nicolas Corney of Southall Travel, Laura Kirkham of Moresand Ltd, Yousaf Shah of TravelUp, Kelly King of Premier Holiday and Julius Mills of Saga Travel Group.
Having wine running through her French blood, Louise had high expectations for the numerous wine tastings she was going to be a part of, preparing for the last two days of her FAM-trip. Needless to say, those expectations were far exceeded.
We started off strong with a rustic 1685 wine farm in Somerset West – Muratie. Muratie is one of the most atmospheric destinations in Stellenbosch. There, time stands still and centuries of fascinating stories live on. Guests can immerse themselves in the tastes, the sights, the sounds and the warm welcome of an authentic Cape wine farm.
The group was treated to our first wine and chocolate pairing of the trip. The uniqueness of the Muratie wines, additionally to the rugged style of the farm and the kindness of the staff, is what struck me the most.
The three stars of the show – a carbonated Méthode Cap Classique bubbly rosé (a champagne simili), a soft but complex red, and a honey-like dessert white – were paired with exquisite chocolate ranging from white to 85% cacao.
We also got to dig into luscious charcuterie and cheese platters, that had the best blue cheese I have ever tried. Considering the intensity with which I love cheese, blue included, this is a serious statement…
The second wine tasting of the trip took place at Vergelegen. Founded on 1 February 1700, Vergelegen (meaning “situated far away”), has been under the ownership of some of the world’s great explorers and visionaries, each of whom, in their own way, have helped shape Vergelegen to what it is today: a world-class Estate. No matter what time of the year one visits Vergelegen, there’s always something interesting to see and visitors will have the opportunity to meander through 18 unique gardens.
There is quite literally so much to say about Vergelegen, it’s hard to sum it up. This wonderful experience started off with a light rosé tasting before the group could jump into 2 safari jeeps for an environmental tour of the property.
Now, one might wonder – how much is there to see on a 3,000-hectare winery, apart from the vines? Turns out, there’s a lot… The Vergelegen team took the group on their hour and a half tour driving around their fields and wetlands, telling us all about the farm’s micro climate and incredibly rich flora and fauna. We had the privilege of meeting, from the comfort of our seats, a Bushbucks and a dozen Quaggas. In one of the farm’s biggest conservation projects, these zebra-looking animals are being bred locally, as 30 years ago, Quaggas were completely extinct!
From crossing zebras species with a bit of DNA found on a badly stuffed Quagga, South African scientists managed to bring that extinct species back to life in 1987! Over 70 of them are now roaming onto the Vergelegen property, while the farm’s formerly extinct species is slowly but surely being selectively bred back to its authentic self.
This was, for me, the highlight of this whole experience, as I got to feel close to these extremely rare majestic wild animals in their natural habitat – a first for me, and I hope it’s not my last.
Of course, one cannot write about Vergelegen without mentioning the wonderful wine and luscious estate. Our group was treated to a riverside picnic where the charcuterie boards, fresh bread, various salads – including coronation chicken – and Vergelegen’ whites and reds were enjoyed in an idyllic setting.
For our last wine tasting of the trip, we drove to Lourensford. This beautiful wine estate offers a visual feast across 4,000 hectares of forest, fynbos, fruit orchards and vineyards, which rise up the slopes of the Helderberg Mountains, caressed by breezes off the Atlantic Ocean.
Before a detailed tour of the huge venue, we were treated to 4 samples of wine and chocolate pairing. The first white wine was strong and delicately paired with some orange-infused chocolate. The first red was just as complex in flavor with a strong tannin taste, paired with some sweet berry chocolate for balance. The third wine (my favourite), was a light red paired with some spicy chili chocolate. Last but not least, our group ended on a (very) sweet note with a white honey-infused dessert wine, that smelled, looked and tasted like pure honey, paired with a minty treat for balance once more. This wine sampling was just as simple and straightforward as it was delicious!
Needless to say, Somerset West is the perfect destination for wine lovers, connoisseurs and debutants alike. That said, the Heart of The Helderberg is a region that has so much more to offer.
After all this delicious wine, we got to try Henri’s Restaurant and Wine bar, known for its aged grass-fed beef as well as the freshest local seafood in the heart of Lionviham. Every meal was a success, but the beef trinchado – a delicious tangy stew with tender fillet morsels and juicy olives – takes the cake for me. This one truly is a hidden gem!
For the last 2 days of this trip, we were lucky enough to stay for 2 nights at the 5-star Erinvale Hotel & Spa – a gorgeous boutique property where, additionally to getting exceptional service, guests can enjoy an 18-hole golf course (with reduced fees), a 25 metre swimming pool, a spa, suites and lofts, as well as 3 (yes, 3!) restaurants – Stefan’s for 7-course fine dining, Oak Terrace for a romantic moonlight dinner and Magnolia for social dining. For the skincare enthusiasts, it’s always good to know they carry an extensive range of wine-infused lotion, shampoo, body wash and what have you – no need to pack any toiletries when staying at Erinvale!
The sense of extreme comfort of the rooms, the kindness of the staff and the beauty of the whole estate – overlooking the Helderberg mountains, thank you very much! – will make you want to stay at Erinvale forever. Not unlike a certain Hotel in California, you can check out anytime you want, but you’ll never want to leave.
Louise is so grateful to Visit South Africa UK, Escape to the Cape and Norse Atlantic Airways for having her on this dream trip, in the company of fellow members of the UK trade. A special, warm thank you to Elisa and Andrew for taking such good care of the whole group in these few days. It made their experience in Cape Town and Stellenbosch that much more special.
