All aboard Wine Tram
After enjoying springtime in Stellenbosch, Christine Austin serves up a few tips for sun and grape lovers planning to make tracks to South Africa to escape a Yorkshire winter.
SPRING has arrived in the Cape. After one of the wettest winters anyone in South Africa can remember, the vines, flowers and gardens are bursting into life. Unlike previous years when spring sunshine led into a drought-prone summer, it seems that the dams and aquifers are full, so there is plenty of water for everyone.
I usually head to South Africa after Christmas for a dose of vitamin D sunshine, but this year I have been tempted south by the prospect of being a judge at Stouth Africa’s most important wine competition, the Veritas Awards. With a week of wine tasting ahead, I decided to arrive a few days early to visit a few wine estates and get my taste buds in tune.
What with lockdown and limited travel in recent years, it was a joy to be out and about in this gloriously beautiful country, so if you are thinking of escaping our Yorkshire winter weather and enjoying some health-giving sunshine as well as some wonderful wines, here are a few tips.
South Africa is one of the easiest long-haul wine destinations to visit. It is an overnight flight, so you get on a plane in a winter coat and when you arrive in Cape Town next morning, you can put that coat away until you go home. And there is no jetlag, South Africa is straight down the time line.
If you have heard about problems with taxis and the airport, be assured, that was a very temporary problem, and it wasn’t about regular taxis. The taxis referred to are the workers’ taxis which bring staff from outside Cape Town into the city – not airport taxis. I was travelling alone, and I called for an Uber from the airport to Stellenbosch. It was easy and cheap.
Then I had a few days to explore the wine regions before judging and rather than drive myself around, which is something I have done in the past, I hired a driver. That took away any anxiety about getting lost or keeping to a schedule.
A day’s hire of a driver, who knew his way around all the estates, and his vehicle was very reasonable. If you think you might need a driver while you are in the Cape, let me know by emailing christine@christineaustin.co.uk. I can also help with suggesting visits to wine estates.
So where should you go if you want a few days exploring the winelands? Here are a few suggestions.
I was based in Stellenbosch, the heart of the winelands and a convenient hub to start exploring the estates. You need a copy of the Platter guide to take you through your stay and you will find a big pile of these in the airport bookshop. Even better, get one from the famous online shop before you go. It has all the information you need about the locations of each winery, opening hours, whether they have a restaurant and telephone numbers so you can book a table. It also tells you about the wines from each property.
One of the easiest areas to get around is Franschhoek, where the Wine Tram (www. winetram.co.za) weaves around several estates and operates a hop-on hop off service. This saves the usual problem of wine-tasting visits when one person in your group has to sip water so they can drive you to the next estate. You sign up for a particular route, which can take you to six estates in a day. If there is a long
driveway, then there will be a bus to meet you to get you to the tasting room.
You then have an hour to taste some wines, maybe have a snack and then you are back on the tram to the next estate. If you want to stay longer, you can, and catch the next tram an hour later.
One terrific idea that has come out of the Wine Tram is that you can order wine at each of the estates you visit, and get it sent home. A minimum order is required, but this saves you the problem of transporting your favourite wines home in your suitcase. If you decide to stay in Cape Town but want to use the Wine Tram, there is a connecting red bus from the city.
Head first to Babylonstoren, an old Cape Dutch farm first established in 1692 that has been transformed into a fabulous garden, with restaurant, farm shop and wine tasting and there is even an up-market hotel that you can stay in. You have to pay 100 Rand just to get in to the estate, (around £4) but that gives you access for a whole year – in case you come back later in your visit.
It is easy to spend a whole day there, wandering in the grounds and enjoying the scenery. This is the first stop on one of the Wine Tram lines.
The next stop is Vrede en Lust, a small estate, where you can sit on a terrace, overlooking vines and enjoy a cheese and wine pairing.
By now you might want a more substantial meal and the next stop on the line is Plaisir de Merle, an estate that dates back to 1693, where you can taste wine in a large welcoming wine cellar, eat lunch and still get back on the tram for the next visit.
Everyone wants to visit Boschendal, one of the oldest and most beautiful estates in South Africa. It is wonderful for its scenery but also for great food, terrific wines and a lovely deli where you can pick up dinner if you are selfcatering.
One of my favourite visits in Franschhoek is La Motte, with a stylish tasting room, excellent wines and a bakery where you can get a decent cup of coffee.
Don’t miss the centre of Franschhoek for its colourful shops and restaurants. This is also a wonderful place to stay for its breath-taking scenery and excellent restaurants.
Many wine farms also have accommodation and on this trip I stayed at L’Avenir, a lovely estate making terrific wines, including some exceptional Pinotage. Its lodge is small, comfortable and tucked away in then quiet of the countryside.
Kleine Zalze is also worth checking out for its lodges surrounding a lovely golf course.