Wine and climb
‘Die beste dae begin met Koffie en eindig met wyn’
– Afrikaans
(the best days start with coffee and end with wine)
We first visited Cape Point Vineyards many years ago, on one of our first trips to The Mother City. We were welcomed into a small tasting room, with a large tapestry in the entrance hall. We tried great wines, paired with lush local cheeses. It was all impressive, apart from the Enya CD that was playing in the background (not a fan).
Years later, Cape Point Vineyards is a very different place. The estate has developed a lot. The tasting area is now a large deck looking out towards the Atlantic Ocean. The vineyard is set up to host weddings and functions, with The Courtyard Restaurant and a balau deck. The inside space also hosts the weekly food market, as well as other events. The estate has installed massive solar panels, for clean, sustainable energy. And the range of wine has developed too, to include the outstanding Isliedh, achieving several wine awards and recognition for its quality.
In recent years we’ve been savouring a lot of their unique Sauvignon Blancs, which are greatly influenced by the cool coastal breezes of the Cape Peninsula. The wine has a distinctive aroma and minerality that we enjoy. The estate describes it perfectly; “The ocean seems to dance in your glass, notes of nori and oyster shell as well as a fresh misty sea breeze, takes you right onto the beautiful Noordhoek beach”.
And so we welcomed the opportunity to join a unique wine tasting event at the estate, a ‘wine and climb’.
Do you like to hike?
We started the day early, with great coffee by False Bay. We drove across the peninsula, to the wine estate in the small town of Noordhoek. We began our climb, in search of wine. Our walk was punctuated by frequent appeals to the Cape Point Vineyards staff, “where’s the wine?” But we didn’t have to wait for long. After a brief ascent and a meander by the vines, we reached the first wine tasting station. We quaffed and chatted wine matters, over cool Sauvignon Blanc in the morning sunshine.
The walk to the next station was more of an uphill challenge, before we arrived at the second stop. We got our breath back over sips of the divine Noordhoek Sauvignon Blanc. Next our route took us by more vines, hundreds of bright orange pin cushion proteas, while trampling the red earth of Africa beneath our soles.
We persevered in the scorching heat on a super steep incline, reaching the third wine station, to revel in the rich, Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, an excellent wooded wine. After that it was an easy downhill stroll, to wind up at our final wine tasting point, where we talked politics and slowly sipped the stunning Isliedh, a combination of Cape coastal Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. The best wine was saved till last.
Throughout the course of the morning we had walked through the vineyard, pausing at the four wine tasting stations over 4.5 kilometres. We enjoyed the climb, up 120 meters in altitude, with limitless views of the stunning Cape coastline. Breathtaking.
The day ended with more wine, being presented with two bottles to take home and enjoy. We’ve wined and dined countless times. This was the first time to wine and climb.
Are you a fan of Sauvignon Blanc? Have you done a hike with difference, somewhere in the world?
© Maggie M / Mother City Time