Wine Country

If you asked my close friends and family what my favorite drink is, they would tell you anything with vodka.  That's what spending a year in Russia will do to you.  But, I am an equal opportunity drinker.  So when we spent time in wine country, I made sure to let the wine flow freely.

We arrived in Franschhoek early on Thursday (11 am) and were told that our room was not yet ready since check in wasn't until 3.  What were we to do until then?  The woman who greeted us listed a bunch of activities, one of which was a private, half day winery tour.  Done.

Three sets of rooms at our hotel.

Our guide, Leonard, picked us up at noon and away we went.  We hit up four wineries in total.  Tokara, our first stop, was my favorite but Mike says that he liked each one for different reasons.  This winery also produces olive oil, so not only did we get a wine tasting but an olive oil one too.

The view at Tokara.

Leonard was incredibly knowledgeable about wine country.  He told us that not only do they grow grapes in the area, but many different types of fruit as well.  People greeted him with a huge smile at every winery, so he is clearly a good friend of the community which I think gave us a better experience.

Our view at the second winery.

One thing that surprised us was how old the wineries are.   They date back to the 1600s when the French Huguenots settled the area.  While a lot of the wineries still have French names, the use of the French language died out after a generation.

We spent a total of five hours on our wine tour.  By the end, I was pretty drunk.  Mike and I managed to pass out in lawn chairs by our hotel pool for quite a bit when we got back.  After an  hour or two, we both went to our room, sobered up a litte, and got dressed for dinner.

Mike at the third winery.

Our hotel had an excellent restaurant.  Many restaurants in the area have a "tasting menu," meaning that your dinner courses and the wine you have with each is picked for you.   We did that both nights for dinner and I'm glad we did.  The wine lists are so extensive that it becomes overwhelming when trying to pick something.

The second day we spent in Franschhoek was not nearly as eventful as the first because it rained on and off all day.  But that didn't stop us from exploring the downtown area.  

A mural in dowtown Franschhoek.

It was a cute town full of lots of restaurants, cafes, and little shops.  I think two days there was perfect because the town was small and I'm pretty sure Mike and I would have started to feel a little restless.  

South African wine is so good (not to mention cheap!) and I think it's a real shame that there isn't more of it in the States.  I really loved the time that we spent in Franschhoek.  It is one of the most beautiful places I have been to, even if my hay fever was acting up due to the fields of lavendar.  And you can't argue with amazing bottles of wine that cost about $15, but would probably go for close to $50 in the US.

You can't argue with this view.

Up next, the beginning of our safari adventure.  Topics include my new dislike for monkeys and seeing a pride of lions at night on our first evening drive.