Wine Tasting!

June 19, 2013

Nothing can beat a day of wine tasting.  Add the fact that we're wine tasting in South Africa, and it becomes a bit more special.  Our group headed to Stellenbosch on the only overcast day of our trip.  The Winelands in Stellenbosch are in a Mediterranean-like climate, much like the California wine region.  We visited three wineries for tastings and had lunch at another winery.

Our first winery was Morgenster.  They specialize in red wines and they name all their wines with an opera theme.  This winery was established in 1711 but was bought in 1994 from an Italian man who began to also import olive trees to make olive oils that would match the standards he was used to in Italy.  These oils now rank 7th globally.  We tasted both the wines and their olive oils and a vinegar.  We enjoyed tasting the wines and sampling the oil, vinegar, olives, and tapenade.

Next was the Waterford Estate where we had a chocolate and wine pairing.  This estate was 
founded in 1998 but has won several awards during its short time.  It is on beautiful farmlands with lavender and rosemary lined buildings and orchards of tangerines.  The chocolate and wine pairing was fun and I purchased a bottle of their Cabernet to bring to Victoria Falls for our night there.

We proceeded to lunch at the Kleine Zalze winery.  Another amazing meal and a glass of their Cabernet made for a filling lunch.

Our last vineyard was the Anura vineyards - the name means frog.  This was the least impressive of the tastings overall; however, I enjoyed their pinotage very much. 

This day's vineyard tour marked the last day in Cape Town prior to our departure to Zimbabwe's Victoria Falls.  This is a city I hope to visit again.