Spier special!

Weirdly, I find the best time to visit the wine farms in the Cape is in winter. I love how the vines change colour from greens to golds to rusty reds – and what better way to spend the day than drinking velvety reds and fruity dry whites in front of a roaring fire?

I treated a friend of mine to two nights away (a bit of a Thelma & Louise – but with a happier ending) at Spier – their winter package made it really affordable. We stayed in a lovely riverside room with its own fireplace, private terrace overlooking the banks of the river and a complimentary bottle of Spier Pinotage. Real pampering!

The special comprises of:

• Two nights’ stay in a signature room.

• Gorgeous farmstyle breakfasts. The farmstyle omelette is delicious and the waffles with maple syrup and whipped cream are just too decadent to resist!

• Wine tasting at the tasting room. We tried the heritage wine tasting; it was so interesting pairing traditional South African foods with the various cultivars. My two favourites were the

Ideology Chenin Blanc 2016 paired with beef falafel topped with buffalo mint yoghurt and toasted almonds, followed closely by the Ideology Merlot Rosé 2016 paired with roti topped with pickled fish and fresh coriander.

• The special includes lunch at Lunch at Eight, but it was such a glorious day that Spier very kindly organised a picnic basket from the Farm Kitchen instead. You can choose whatever you like from their deli, but I would highly recommend anything and everything from Farmer Angus’s meat selection – it’s organically grown and is simply out of this world. Enjoy your picnic lying on the grass under the oak trees – the gnarly old trees provided much excitement for the kids as they are perfect for climbing.

• Pampering treatment for two. Oh wow! After a long day of drinking, eating, walking, riding bicycles and swimming (it was 19 degrees but I just had to get into that glorious pool), Michelle, my therapist, gave me an hour’s back massage – probably one of the best back massages I have ever had. She truly was brilliant, so book her if you can – it is the perfect way to end a perfect day! Caryn

Thecost of the Spier winter package is R1 720 per person per night (for a two-night stay) and is valid from 1 March to 30 September 2019.

ABOVE: An aerial view of the rooms LEFT: One of the many artworks dotted around the estate.

A must-do while you are here is to try out a Segway. It’s great fun once you master the art of balancing and steering. Riding through the vineyards on a two-wheel contraption is hilarious!