For our last Friday in SA, we had booked places for a day walk - joining a group of 7 who were on the 3 day programme. Immediately bumped into a couple who we had met on our trip to Mont Rochelle with the Pearl Valley hiking group. We had such a good time that we signed up for a second day with them as well.
We started with an introduction to Buchu from Elsabie Du Plessis. We have seen Buchu in the Fynbos and drunk it as a tea on its own or mixed with Rooibos. However our first tasting was a Buchu Brandy - KWV three year old brandy, which is probably better as a fire-lighter than a digestif, infused with fresh buchu stalks. Quite a pleasant herbal drink - the Buchu had rounded all the harsh edges in the brandy.
Buchu is claimed to be a good treatment for a variety of ailments including prostate issues but probably more effective as an infusion with water rather than brandy. Linda bought dried leaves for tea and fresh leaves to infuse in Gin - watch this space for the review.
Before we hiked through the Buchu and olive farm and the vine nursery, we also tasted a variety of other products which Elsabie makes with the farm produce - the Pinotage jam and chutneys were probably my favourites.
For lunch we stopped at Klein Rhebokskloof where Renee Hildenbrand served us an excellent lunch and treated us to an amusing and informative tasting of the 6 wines that shes produces on the farm along with a very good olive oil. Lunch seemed to last slightly longer than the morning hike, but we eventually set off again, passing a variety of wineries and restaurants along the way until we reached the overnight stop at the Dunstone Country Estate. We left the group there and headed home - surprised to note that we had hiked something close to 16 Km.
Day two started with a bus ride to the top of the Bains Kloof Pass and a hike down hill to Doolhof Wine estate, passing Andrew Bain's house - where he lived while building the pass - along the way.
We started our first tasting at 10.00 am and following a 10-11Km hike we managed tastings at two more wineries and a very pleasant lunch at Welvanpas. We really enjoyed visiting the wineries which were well off the beaten track - we'll have to try to remember how to find them again for our next visit.
Our final stop at Lelienfontein was a good way to finish the day although probably the least favourite tasting of the bunch. Although Linda did find one bottle that she quite liked.
A great way to spend our last couple of days in good company - before we start packing and head home.
We started with an introduction to Buchu from Elsabie Du Plessis. We have seen Buchu in the Fynbos and drunk it as a tea on its own or mixed with Rooibos. However our first tasting was a Buchu Brandy - KWV three year old brandy, which is probably better as a fire-lighter than a digestif, infused with fresh buchu stalks. Quite a pleasant herbal drink - the Buchu had rounded all the harsh edges in the brandy.
Buchu is claimed to be a good treatment for a variety of ailments including prostate issues but probably more effective as an infusion with water rather than brandy. Linda bought dried leaves for tea and fresh leaves to infuse in Gin - watch this space for the review.
Before we hiked through the Buchu and olive farm and the vine nursery, we also tasted a variety of other products which Elsabie makes with the farm produce - the Pinotage jam and chutneys were probably my favourites.
For lunch we stopped at Klein Rhebokskloof where Renee Hildenbrand served us an excellent lunch and treated us to an amusing and informative tasting of the 6 wines that shes produces on the farm along with a very good olive oil. Lunch seemed to last slightly longer than the morning hike, but we eventually set off again, passing a variety of wineries and restaurants along the way until we reached the overnight stop at the Dunstone Country Estate. We left the group there and headed home - surprised to note that we had hiked something close to 16 Km.
We started our first tasting at 10.00 am and following a 10-11Km hike we managed tastings at two more wineries and a very pleasant lunch at Welvanpas. We really enjoyed visiting the wineries which were well off the beaten track - we'll have to try to remember how to find them again for our next visit.
Our final stop at Lelienfontein was a good way to finish the day although probably the least favourite tasting of the bunch. Although Linda did find one bottle that she quite liked.
A great way to spend our last couple of days in good company - before we start packing and head home.
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