BACCHUS BY BIKE
Claire Keeton and photographer Marianne Schwankhart indulge in some reds and some whites — and find they can still take fun seriously
WHEN a wine farm is the starting point for a cycle tour, the ride could go one of two ways: swiftly, to return to the bacchanalian pleasures of wine tasting, or slowly, lulled by the languid setting of vineyards.
Half hidden by morning mist when Marianne and I arrived, Clos Malverne wine farm near Stellenbosch gave the impression of a Monet painting in peaceful shades of green and purple.
Our ride through the tranquil Devon Valley with two American tourists and two guides was leisurely — slow enough to smell the spring blossoms and not raise a sweat; unhurried enough to stop for views, tea and scones.
This outing is about the journey, not only the sparkling wine awaiting riders at their destination. Also, the 20km route can be adjusted to suit guests’ fitness levels.
The Clos Malverne Mountain Bike tour is run by Cape Town adventure company Bike & Saddle, who provide the bikes and guides. They also offer electric bikes and a support vehicle which accompanies riders all the way.
On a chilly Saturday morning we met them inside the farm gates and adjusted the bikes to our heights. Briefed on the route, we coasted down a hill and onto a tar road. After a short distance, we turned into another wine estate and climbed gently up a gravel road with Bottelry signage and vineyards on the left.
“Welcome to almost the top of Devon Valley,” said our guide Bevan Hope-Bailie, 25, when we stopped to catch our breath.
He then suggested that if you look carefully — or possibly drink excessively — you can see the reclining shape of the Cape’s sixth governor, Simon van der Stel, in the mountains to the east.
On the nearby slopes is a miniature soccer field, allegedly designed for the Italian team who were supposed to stay here during the 2010 World Cup.
Another short hop on our bikes took us past more vineyards to the Devon Valley Hotel, roughly half way, for an extravagant tea.
This interlude gave us a chance to meet fellow cyclists Mark and Wayne Watson, a father and son team from the US.
Father Wayne was on a trip from San Diego via Paris and Dubai to Cape Town and the Kruger National Park. Bariatric surgeon Mark, from Dallas, Texas, was simply taking a break.
Clos Malverne winemaker Suzanne Coetzee also joined us for tea (and coffee). A member of the Wine and Spirit Board, she is occasionally required to taste 100 wines before 10am.
The farm’s award-winning vintages go back to 1986, in contrast to landmark estates such as Nederburg, whose vines were planted in 1791.
Tourism graduate Susan Breytenbach, granddaughter of a viticulturist at Villiera wines, was our second cycling guide.
A competitive athlete, she wasn’t racing anywhere with us. The relaxed pace meant we halved the distance to lunch, allowing us time to drink and eat.
We sampled red and white wines with each of the three courses of fine, fresh food made by chef Nadia Louw.
Over lunch Mark talked about his career and why he had focused on Lap-band weight-loss surgery, about which he has written a book. “You can transform people’s lives,” he said.
His retired dad showed us photos of bronze sculptures he had made after attending classes with Cirque du Soleil figurative sculptor Richard MacDonald.
The pair said the Boland reminded them of Napa valley in California and that they were enjoying their SA holiday.
After lunch we said goodbye and took a short drive across to the Paarl winelands.
Our destination, the Cascade Country Manor, once belonged to royalty and its grandeur has not faded. But, as attractive as the elegant rooms and manicured garden are, the Cascades — a perennial waterfall found in a kloof on the edge of the olive groves — dominate the grounds.
The 13th Duke of Bedford, who owned the property decades ago, wrote: “There is a big waterfall, as the name suggests, tumbling down the mountains at the back . . . over the years we have turned the place into a sort of American Colonial-style house with plenty of bathrooms. It really is a dream place and now that we live in England I often long to go back.
“The vineyards were rotten, so I pulled them all up, planting apricots and olives and a strange herb called buchu, which has valuable medical properties.”
The present owners, Maika and Volker Goetze, live on the estate and add a personal touch to the hospitality of this secluded hotel.
The privacy and silence experienced by guests are unusual. So too are elements of the décor. My Shades of Grey room, which was known as the Grey Room before the publication of the erotic novel Fifty Shades of
Grey , had a Tantra black leather couch and mirror above the kingsize bed.
The manor has 15 luxurious rooms and a spa and its location, within walking distance of the Limietberg Nature Reserve, makes it an easy place to retreat into nature.
The only sound at night is that of water rushing over rock.
As the stars came up, the silhouette of Paarl Rock loomed above Paarl, a forgotten jewel in the Cape winelands — which can offer visitors wine, cycling and song.