Cape Winelands Blog

Visitors to the 2013 SA Cheese Festival from 26 to 28 April can look forward to a gourmet adventure with more than 350 different cheeses from the far reaches of the country congregated at Sandringham outside Stellenbosch – paradise to those who simply love to indulge with food while in good company. This event, that annually draws more than 30 000 cheese aficionados, promises an extended experience with a brand new Friday night programme.

On Friday night the action will last until 22:00 with an entire evening of live entertainment, picnics under the full moon and a leisurely browsing and tasting experience. Some of Friday night’s highlights include the launch of Landbouweekblad food editor, Arina du Plessis’ new book, Boerekos, a cheese carving competition and a wine and chocolate pairing by Rooiberg Cellar in the DStv Food Network Theatre. In the Checkers Theatre Nataniël and friends Jenny Morris, Brümilda van Rensburg, Herman Lensing and Shaleen Surtie-Richards are ready to share their culinary secrets with you. Also in the Absa Mall Pinotage Theatre you’ll have the opportunity to taste proudly South African Pinotage wines paired with exceptional dishes and guided by Beyers Truter, food consultant Heleen Meyer and singer Koos Kombuis. Kobus Mulder, well known cheese connoisseur, takes you on a journey to discover great artisanal cheeses in the BBC Lifestyle Centre. He will also launch his coffee table book on Cheeses of South Africa.

Although your taste buds will rejoice because of the magnitude of delicious products on offer – think olives, wine, decadently sweet deli products and brand new eats and treats such as Chocolate Caramel toffees with Parmesan – cheese undoubtedly still steals the limelight. Visitors can revel in the products of numerous artisans, some of whose speciality cheeses are mostly only available at small local food markets. With Absa’s support, ten emerging producers will receive the opportunity to exhibit their products at the festival. Be sure to taste the products of cheese makers from the sponsored group who will showcase their cheese for the very first time at the Festival: De Böcke Goat Dairy (Malmesbury), Mooigelegen Boerenkaas (Heidelberg, Southern Cape), and Madame Fromage (Paarl). But also include these in your must-visit list: Camphill Farm Community (Hermanus), Montagu Cheese (Montagu), Laerskool Buffeljagsrivier (Buffeljagsrivier), Langbaken Karoo Cheese (Williston), Taaibosch Kaas (Heidelberg, Southern Cape), Anysbos (Botriver) and Mysthill Farm (Swellendam)

Blind wine tastings might be old news, but blind cheese tastings are all the fashion! Hanri Marais from Simonsberg will fascinate you with remarkable cheese trivia and Diemersdal chef Nic van Wyk will delight your senses with his creative cooking abilities. Also do not miss the action in the Pinotage Theatre: Chef Craig Cormack performs his magic with salts from all over the world paired with food and Fleur du Cap wine and the Durbanville Wine Valley will treat you to its finest Pinotage and local themed food, and more.

The DStv Food Network Theatre will be jam-packed with action by celebrities on the South African food scene. The group includes food editors such as Vicky de Beer (Rooi Rose), Hilary Biller (Sunday Times Food Weekly) and Arina du Plessis (Landbouweekblad), as well as Andrea du Plessis (VITAL Health Foods), food blogger Nina Timm and Alet Erasmus from Creative cuisine Pantry that will be accompanied by Randall Wicomb.

Kids simply love a day at the festival. The intimate closeness with a variety of farm animals at the Milk Factory and the fun-filled DStv Kids Zone promise hours of entertainment, including karaoke, shows by illusionists, popcorn, face painting and much more. Their favourite Kidsco characters, Boo and Sonic, will be there to keep them busy.

Purchase your R115 ticket now from Computicket in all Shoprite, Checkers, Checkers Hyper and House & Home outlets (no tickets at the gates). Senior citizens pay R90 and children 13 years and younger enter free. Opening times for Friday is from 10:00 to 22:00, on Saturday from 10:00 to 18:00 and Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00. Wine tasting glasses will be on sale at R15 at the gates. Book accommodation at http://www.sa-venues.com/accommodation/stellenbosch.php if you plan to stay the weekend, there are still many options available.

Visit www.cheesefestival.co.za for more information or contact Agri-Expo at tel 021 975 4440 or cheese@agriexpo.co.za.

Franschhoek Rond en Bont is a community tourism route that showcases the fascinating history and culture of this part of South Africa’s Western Cape Province. The goal of this very special route is to expose the diversity of the community of this picturesque valley and to share a glimpse into their lives and loves.

The Rond en Bont Route includes the communities of Bosbou, Dwarsrivier, Groendal, Mooiwater, Tyotyombeni and Wemmershoek, amongst others. It also explores a large portion of the actual Franschhoek Valley and the breath-takingly beautiful Cape winelands, which have become famous the world over for magnificent wines.

There are three tours available:

• The Freedom Tour (including the Huguenot Memorial Museum & Monument, Dwarsrivier Valley, Drakenstein Correctional Services and Solms Delta Museum)
• The Educational Tour (comprising Solms Delta Social History, Dik Delta Culinary Gardens, Liwalethu Creche and a visit to a local potter)
• The Culinary Tour (including a tour of Mary’s Kitchen, Batho’s Place, Die Teesakkie and The Whitehouse, a local shebeen)

Contact Details:
Tel: 021 876 2861
Email: development@franschhoek.org.za
Places to stay: Cape Winelands Hotels

The Western Cape is known for the array of world-class wines that it produces from rolling vineyards that stretch through Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl, Robertson and the Karoo. However, this area is also acclaimed for producing some of the finest cheese in the country and, arguably, the world. These dairy delights are the perfect complement to the variety of wines, rounding off any Cape Winelands experience to perfection.

The following Western Cape farms are just some that are acclaimed for their wide variety and world-class quality cheeses, and are all open to the public:

Anura (Klapmuts) – www.anura.co.za
With the Simonsberg Mountains towering overhead, Anura is a wine and cheese farm that is committed to the combination of quality and variety, regardless of their product. It is a family-owned and –run estate, purchased by the Boumas in 1989. Its cheeses include the Forest Hill Camembert, Forest Hill Brie, Anura Marisch (mozzarella/edam blend), Anura Mountain Cheese (a Swiss style cheese), Anura Camembert and Anura Brie.

Fairview (Paarl) – www.fairview.co.za
Fairview is made extra special because it combines cheeses made from cow’s milk and goat’s milk. These artisanal cheeses are widely available at all major retail outlets across South Africa. The range is extensive and inclusive, catering to different tastes and preferences. There is a resident herd of about 1 000 goats at Fairview. Goat’s milk is naturally lower in fat than cow’s milk, making it a healthier alternative that suits lactose intolerant cheese-lovers.

Lourensford Estate (Somerset West) – www.lourensford.co.za
With a history that dates back to the year 1700, Lourensford is known for its breathtaking beauty. Originally established for the purposes of winemaking (for which it is still renowned), this farm is now also the site of Healey’s Cheese. This is mature cheddar that is made using natural methods for the most delicious of flavours. No artificial colourants, flavourants or preservatives are used. Enjoying this cheese can be paired with a wine tasting for a very special taste experience.

Puglia Cheese (Stellenbosch) – www.zevenwacht.co.za/zw_cheese
With a passion for authentic Italian cheese, the owners of Puglia have succeeded in creating the country’s most genuinely mozzarella-ish mozzarella. In the age-old tradition, this mozzarella is patiently made by hand. Specialities include traditional mozzarella balls, stuffed mozzarella balls and stretched mozzarella.

Simonsberg Cheese (Stellenbosch) – www.simonsbergcheeselovers.com
Simonsberg cheeses are well known by discerning South African consumers. There is an array of varieties on offer, sure to include something for just about everyone. In addition to more traditional cheddars and Goudas, Simonsberg also produces brie, camembert, cream cheese, cottage cheese and more.

Taste, eat, drink and play to your heart’s desire at the SA Cheese Festival, taking place from Saturday 24 until Tuesday 27 April at Bien Donné on the R45 between Paarl and Franschhoek. This fabulous foodie event sets the scene for an intimate yet festive get-together between cheesemakers, food artisans and those who simply adore the good life.  Bring the whole family for a fun-filled day in the countryside surrounded by the most sumptuous eats and treats.

Cheese to choose
The Checkers Cheese Emporium houses the country’s largest selection of cheese under one air cooled 2 400 m2 roof. Strong and bold or familiar and mild – your choice of cheese will be there.  The Checkers Food Theatre will come alive with Nataniël’s razor-sharp wit, while the Giggling Gourmet Jenny Morris and YOU magazine’s food editor Carmen Niehaus will captivate you with their imaginative cheese recipes. Free tickets to the Nataniël sessions can be obtained daily on a first-come-first-served basis from outside the Cheese Emporium.

Choose your cheese and top up your bag or basket with some sweet seducers such as handmade chocolate, Turkish delight, nougat, and sweet or sparkling wines, and you’re set for a taste celebration.

Cooking Pot action
Several of your favourite entertainment, food and other icons will be stirring up a storm in the Cooking Pot.    Enjoy the antics of the uproariously funny Soli Philander, or let Sarie and Sarie Kos’s food fundis Herman Lensing and Barbara Joubert, who was recently lauded as the Galliova Food Writer of the Year, share with you the what’s hot of creating with cheese. The Pinotage icon, Beyers Truter, and Johan Badenhorst, presenter of the travel TV programme Voetspore, team up for an adventurous outdoor food and Pinotage demonstration.  A combination of quirks and canapés brings RSG presenter Johan Rademan, TV presenter and comedian Nico Nel and outstanding chef Alet Erasmus together.  Aperitivo dishes, paired with Peroni will be the speciality of chef Craig Hounsman.  Whether you’re a gourmet guru or a closet cook you are sure to enjoy the energy of the Cooking Pot which is by now a legendary hotspot for cheese innovation.

Cool options for busy kids
Kids 12 years and younger enter for free and then the fun and games begin!  Expert entertainers will encourage kids of all ages to safely shed some of their energy in the Wilde Fruit Juices Kiddies Corner run by the professional party people, Crazy Chameleon.  Life-size cartoon characters of the Boomerang Channel will be sharing hugs and a magician and balloon artists will intrigue the young ones with their tricks.  Also bring your kids for an experience of the udderly amazing journey of milk from the cow, goat or sheep to the table while they enjoy being near these peaceful big eyed, four-legged friends in the Renault & Kia Milk Factory.

Shop till you drop
Cheese on its own is a treat but with the right partners it provides for a feast. The new SA Olive Experience in The Mall will allow olive enthusiasts to enjoy this ancient fruit in surprisingly innovative ways – taste the purest olive oils and gleaming black and green table olives, tapenades and even olive jams. Some ten olive producers from as far as Beaufort West, Montagu and Porterville bring you their delicacies, by one producer described as the wonderful gifts of good earth and captured sunshine.

Wine is of course the other constant companion of cheese – taste your way through the many cultivars and then stock your home cellar with your favourites.  Make sure you buy enough delectable goodies including nuts, homemade preserves, bread and pesto’s to cater for the rest of your autumn picnics or for chilly winter evenings.

Meet at the Market
Artisan cheese makers who craft superb cheeses using age old methods and lots of patience share this space with special deli products which bring new dimensions to tasting pleasure. Savour the flavours that abound in this laidback country market, do not miss the products in the snail trail and then make your choice: what will you take home? Or unpack your purchases there and then and enjoy them on the shady market square.

Do lunch in the Gourmet Lane
The marvellous variety of tastes and aroma’s emanating from the Gourmet Lane will entice you to settle down and enjoy a bite with the music from the band BRAWOU! accompanying your appetite on this exciting journey.    Don’t forget to browse in the herb nursery and buy some to take home for your cheese cooking and pairing adventures.

Festival goes green
The organisers of the Cheese Festival are also committed to the ‘greening’ of the event. To this purpose the contracted stand builders are strongly associated with the green movement in their industry and annually recycle their products.  Furthermore a group from previously disadvantaged community in Franschhoek was invited to sort and recycle all waste from the festival and then benefit from the profits derived from the effort.

Cheese Festival on www.
Try your luck at winning tickets to the festival as well as hampers with cheese and cheese related goodies by entering the weekly online competition at www.cheesefestival.co.za.  Are you a Facebook fan? Then why not join the Cheese Festival Facebook community by sharing your Cheese Festival pictorial memories or simply become a much cherished follower.

Buy your tickets now
A limited number of tickets are available from Computicket or Checkers stores (no tickets at the gate) at R110 for Saturday and Sunday, and R90 for Monday and Tuesday. Senior citizens pay R70 and children 12 years and younger enter for free.  The festival runs each day from 10:00 to 18:00 and closes the last day at 17:00.  For more information contact Agri-Expo on tel 021 975 4440 or cheese@agriexpo.co.za or visit www.cheesefestival.co.za.

Find accommodation for this event at Cape Winelands accommodation.

This post with permission from South Africa Travel News. See the original article at: Paarl – overlooked jewel of the Western Cape

The town of Paarl is literally on my doorstep. I’ve driven past it on the N1 numerous times and yet not visited. But this weekend was an exception. I needed to right a wrong and take a look at a town that more than met my expectations and, in fact, left me spellbound by its gorgeous architecture, history, perpetual vistas of vineyards, and quaintness.

Paarl is but 45 minutes’ drive from Cape Town, yet it might as well be miles away (aside from the fact that you can see Table Mountain on a clear day). It’s the largest town in the Cape winelands, the third oldest European settlement in South Africa, boasts the longest main street in the country – all 12 kilometres of it – littered with buildings of historical note, boasts its own wine route, and has a huge granite outcrop that glistens just like a pearl, hence the town’s name, in the sunlight after a downpour. Not only that, but it’s also full of vineyards …

The name of the town is something of an idiosyncrasy. Despite being spelt ‘Paarl’ in both English and Afrikaans, it is pronounced ‘Pêrel’ in Afrikaans, and people are often heard to say ‘in die Pêrel’. And all of this superfluous information pertains to the huge rock, which is actually three rounded outcrops that make up Paarl Mountain – the largest such protrusion in the southern hemisphere, which despite being compared with Uluru, doesn’t really come close, yet definitely has something special about it.

Paarl is also just about the only town in the Western Cape to have its tourist information office open on a Sunday, even if the rest of Paarl at 10am is otherwise occupied in activities of a more celestial nature. And there’s the Afrikaanse Taalmonument, standing on the slopes of Paarl Mountain, the most famous Afrikaans icon commemorating the Afrikaans language as an official language, separate from Dutch; something of an icon but interesting nonetheless – pick up a pamphlet explaining the symbolism behind the structure from the tourist info … continued at: Paarl, overlooked jewel of the Western Cape.

This post with kind permission from South Africa Travel News – Original article at: A Gastronomic experience at Fairview

The temptation to play with the word ‘fair’ when applied to Fairview Wine Estate is great – it more than lives up to its name. The Wine and Cheese farm, just off Suid-Agter Paarl Road, lies in one of the ‘fairest’ settings possible, set behind Paarl’s ubiquitous ‘rock’, its parking area littered with pretty, shady trees and its entrance utterly dominated by a fairly ingenious tower complete with spiral staircase, featuring three of their Swiss Saanen goats – that on this particular Sunday, looked very much the way I felt, considering it was probably 40 degrees in the shade, of which there was not much in their domain …

The Goatshed, Fairview’s slightly upmarket barn-style/foodhall restaurant touting Mediterranean ‘fare’ (couldn’t resist) and a chance to sample up to twenty five of the farm’s predominantly goats’ cheeses, together with their wines, is extremely popular. It was just as well we had booked a table as when we arrived, just before 1pm, the place was literally humming. It helped that the heat had all but driven everyone into the air-conditioned former wine cellar interior – its clay-tiled floors, high ceilings, wooden furniture and thoroughly rustic atmosphere a bonus on a day when sitting outside, despite the gorgeous scenery, was pretty warm (and we thought we’d scored by booking outside!)

Outside, the grapevine smothered balcony below, and the slightly cooler bluegum latte-roofed verandah offered a further smattering of tables, which, provided there is a breeze, are wonderful to sit at – beautiful lawns and a trickling stream and water features. There was evidence of ice buckets on virtually every table, as people drank copious amounts, not always water, and the shouts of children dipping themselves in the little stream beyond our tables added further still to the sense of balmy days, good food and little else to do.

The Goatshed has got the ‘food experience’ combination right. One isn’t there purely for the menu, but for the experience whilst eating the food that makes it taste all the finer for the surrounding combination of beautiful views and alfresco dining experience. It’s no surprise that the food is good as the former owner of the Mimosa Lodge in Montagu, Andreas Küng, a qualified architect who had a change of heart due to his love of food, is the chef. The restaurant also employs rougly 25 formerly unemployed people from the surrounding winelands as bakers, waiters and wine stewards.

And the food was good. Nothing fancy or intimidating, although there were a selection of cleverly combined salads and bistro meals that work perfectly for lazy summer Sundays – farm salad that combines roasted vegetables, cherry tomatoes and toasted seeds, smoked trout salad, beef fillet carpaccio with toasted pine nuts, gruyère shavings and more, duck liver paté, warm stir-fried springbok, beef biltong salad, a chicken pie, ostrich medallions, line fish, pork spare ribs, lamb curry, beef fillet and on and on….

But the star of the show was the cheese platters themselves, and the restaurant’s range of artisanal breads that are not only served at the table to accompany cheese platters, but are for sale in the restaurant. Their range of ciabatta, panini, sour doughs, ryes, bagels and a few signature breads are simply heavenly! You can taste that the restaurant enlisted the help of Johan Sörberg, who owns his own bakeries in Stockholm in Sweden, to coach the baking team…

We settled for the smoked snoek salad, a truly heavenly combination of celery, red onions, green apples, white grapes, turmeric potatoes and snoek tossed together in a light yoghurt, lemon juice and olive oil dressing, served with moskonfyt that gave it a wonderful flavour; a couple of paninis (made on the premises; a truly unique version of the usual doughy white bread) served with pesto, roasted vegetables and grated farmhouse cheddar and a cheese platter to share. There was enough food to feed an army, the decadence was enormously pleasing, and the combination of the food wonderful.

The cheese platter arrived with a generous portion of sliced bread, and our little one was brought even more farmhouse bread of his own to have with grated cheese and butter – kiddie heaven (and they charged us virtually nothing for his meal, which may have been an oversight, but I felt was incredibly generous).

Cheese included camembert, brie, bleu en blanc, blue rock (a particularly creamy roquefort), white rock with cranberry (my personal favourite), cream cheese with black pepper, cream cheese with sweet chilli (another num version) and crottin. Cheese platters come in 8 choice, 10 choice, and I think 12 choice, platters and are a must when there for any meal.

Fairview’s popular Goats do Roam wines are served in 200ml carafes or by the bottle, and, provided you don’t manage to upend most of the wine onto the floor as we did, are thoroughly enjoyable. The restaurant does special group breakfast set menus, and gives early bird bikers and cyclists a 15% discount on breakfast – you have only to produce your helmet as evidence of having made it out there!

There is also a deli corner that offers a stream of sliced cured meats, preserves, jams, chutneys, nougat, goats’ milk fudge, and of course, cheese by the kilogram (although you don’t really score by buying from the farm as the price is only just lower than what you would pay in your local supermarket).

We rounded off the wonderful meal with a scoop of the most creamy, homemade blueberry ice cream with a piece of shortbread, and a couple of cappuccinos. The Goatshed claims the best coffee in the Cape, but I confess it was possibly that much too warm a day to be thoroughly convinced by this assertion.

But the unanimous conclusion of the meal was that we resolved to return to partake of the breakfast menu, or to sample the winter menu, which is bound to be full of soups and roast toasty something or other, hmm mmmm ….

Starry eyed lovers, epicures, champagne aficionados, merrymakers, curiosity cats and anyone who simply loves the good life will be heading to Franschhoek for this “Magic of Bubbles” festival.

The culinary capital of South Africa has a dazzling array of outstanding eateries. Restaurants will compile special menus to complement the bubbly, so come along and awaken your senses with the Valley’s outstanding cuisine. A shopper’s seventh heaven, Franschhoek’s stylish boutiques will entice festive-season shoppers! Of course bubbly in all its guises will be on sale throughout the festivities, a perfect Christmas gift.

Spend the Champagne festival weekend popping corks, filling flutes, sipping vivacious bubbly and snacking on delicacies prepared by some of the valley’s gourmet masterminds.

Telephone: 021 876 2861
Venue: Franschhoek Monument, Franschhoek
When: Saturday, 05 December 2009 to Sunday, 06 December 2009
Where: Franschhoek
Categories: Annual Festivals / Food & Wine
For Fun: See I Love Franschhoek because …

Paarl Mall & Cheryl Wade Events will host a Bridal & Conference Venue Expo from Friday 24 to Sunday 26 July. If you are happily engaged and want to plan your dream wedding, visit the Paarl Mall Bridal and Conference Venue Expo brought to you by Perderberg Winery and find everything you need to plan your very special day.

This beautiful shopping mall in the heart of the winelands is conveniently located just off the N1. Enjoy a scenic drive from Cape Town towards Paarl, take the Cecilia Street off ramp directly after the Paarl turnoff and experience a modern shopping mall offering nearly 100 inviting shops. Stroll past fabulous bridal displays, pop into your favourite shop, stop for coffee and add to your shopping enjoyment.

The Bridal Expo brought to you by Perdeberg Winery will offer engaged couples a variety of professional exhibitors, services and products. All the gorgeous displays will be accessible throughout the mall from Woolworths to Pick ‘n Pay. Whether you need venues, gowns, honeymoon destinations, photographers, videographers, transportation, flowers, décor, hiring and so much more, it will be on display at Paarl Mall’s Bridal & Conference Venue Expo. Matric pupils are also welcome to join us at Paarl Mall to view chic and original gowns by top designers, funky jewellery and accessories and trendy suit ideas for that long awaited glamorous Matric Dance.

A lucky bride-to-be can win a designer wedding gown to the value of R 10 000 compliments of AMELIA. Couples need to visit the mall during the expo and find the entry boxes to enter. Our sponsor PERDEBERG WINERY, situated in the heart of the winelands, produces superior wines and promises to transform every wedding into a fabulous and fun experience by always “keeping wines simple”.

The Wedding Parade throughout the Mall featuring bridal gowns and suits takes place on Saturday 25 July at 12.30. Music ensembles and interactive displays will enhance your visit to the mall.  Meander past all the creative displays throughout the mall until 5pm on Friday and Saturday and 4pm on Sunday. An added bonus is that entry to this expo is absolutely FREE and includes ample free parking and reliable security.

Don’t miss Paarl Mall’s Bridal & Conference Venue Expo brought to you by Perdeberg Winery, if you want to easily plan your dream wedding. Prospective exhibitors or soon to be married couples can contact Cheryl Wade Events on 021 914 2852, 083 456 2879 for further information. See you all there!

Related Links:
Cape Town Weddings
Cape Town Wedding Services
South Africa Travel News

Stellenbosch Fresh Goods Market is an authentic Slow Food Market. As opposed to ‘fast food’, slowfood is the output of producers who have sourced, grown, raised, harvested, caught, preserved or transformed the food themselves.The Stellenbosch Fresh Goods market and the Willowbridge Slow market conveniently brings together a variety of fine foods and wines. You will experience an ancient way of shopping in a modern context. No long cold storage is used to bring foods to market,no chemicals are used in their production, no excessive food miles are wasted and no doubtful production methods are employed. Customers have a chance to taste food before they buy it and bargaining and swapping of recipes is the order of the day. By trading the food grown on the urban edges the Fresh Goods market is aiming to make the food chain more sustainable and environmentally sensitive. All foods are fresh seasonal and locally grown making them simple, nourishing and delicious.

Visit the Website at: http://slowmarket.co.za/

Bikes ‘n Wines is a novel and exciting approach to Winelands Tourism that appeals to the young-spirited seeking an off-the-beaten-track experience. Explore several superb estates of the Stellenbosch Winelands, situated 50 kilometres outside of Cape Town, through the use of ‘slow tourism’.

The full day tour begins by meeting our guides at a café on the famed Long Street in the city centre of Cape Town, followed by a brief historic walk down through the picturesque Company Gardens to central station at the bottom of town. Board the local trains in first class here and begin the journey to the Stellenbosch Winelands.

Arriving at Lynedoch Eco-Village, the group is given bikes and equipment and cycling, and fun, begin! You will cover a little over 17 kilometers and visit four superb wineries and taste approximately twenty different South African wines, covering a diverse range of grapes and blends.

Bikes ‘n Wines caters for all ages and fitness levels and we offer personalized, as well as large group and corporate tours .

From the Web Site: http://www.bikesnwines.com/ - Visit the site for full details about this unique winelands tour.

Shortly after being announced as Wine of the Year and Wine Estate of the Year by the 2009 Platter Wine Guide, Kanonkop has received a further accolade.   Abrie Beeslaar, Kanonkop winemaker, has been named Best International Winemaker 2008 at the International Wine and Spirits Competition, reports the Cape Times.  Fifty wine-producing countries were represented at the competition.Kanonkop also won the Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande trophy for best blended red wine for its Paul Sauer 2003, and the David Hughes Trophy for Best South African Producer.

Proud Kanonkop co-owner Johan Krige said that the award was a “reward for hard work, focus and dedication.   This is fantastic because it shows South Africa is at the forefront in wine technology.”  He also attributed the award to the wine estates’ focus on and specialisation in red wine.

Visit the Website at: http://www.kanonkop.co.za/

The 5th Cape Country PICNIC FESTIVAL at Bien Donné Farm in Simondium near Franschhoek will be staged on 13, 14 and 15 February 2009. The festival is open during Valentines Weekend and romance is a definite focus point at this year’s festival. The addition of a new 800m2 tented food & wine market will ensure that festival goers will have access to a spread of local foods and wine.

As a visitor, you arrive empty handed, browse through the food and wine stalls and get your picnic goodies from stall to stall. You then return to the big lawn area and enjoy your picnic while relaxing to the sounds of great live music. There are both lunch and evening concert sessions. Kids are well catered for over the weekend (Saturday and Sunday).

The original McCully Workshop’s 60 Something Show will be staged on Friday and Saturday evening (13th & 14th February).  Both evenings will consist of the great 60′s music as well as something from the 70′s and 80′s. Lovers can expect to see a special love songs 60 something edition on valentines evening! The festival offers a great opportunity to spend quality time with family, friends and your loved ones while discovering great food and wine.

Entrance fees are R50.00 per person for daytime sessions and R100.00 per person for the evening concerts. Kids under 16 enter for free but must be accompanied by their own parents. A full programme is available from the organizers, CADEK Media, on 021 855 4750.

The Drakenstein Lion Park is situated in the scenic Cape Winelands and comprises 50 acres of sprawling lion habitat. The Park is actively involved in improving the quality of life of lions in captivity, locally as well as internationally, either by offering these animals a lifetime home or working in conjunction with other animal welfare organizations to secure a safe future for individual animals in dire need.

The Park is not involved in commercial breeding or trade and offers lifetime care to all of it’s animals. All the animals brought to the Park are captive bred / hand reared and cannot be rehabilitated to the wild. The animals at the Park are assured a chance of living out their natural lives in an enriched and safe environment.

Drakenstein Lion Park was awarded the 2007 ROAR Award for the Best Organization by the Global White Lion Protection Trust.

Visit the Drakenstein Lion Club Website at: http://www.lionrescue.org.za/

Walker Bay, a 45 minute drive from Cape Town, has become a fashionable region to visit, particularly with the establishment of over a dozen wineries in and around Hermanus, already popular for its whale spotting between June and November. The Hemel-en-Aarde (heaven and earth) Valley, just behind Hermanus, has become part of a popular wine farm meander and is definitely worth a visit. Grapes grown in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley are influenced by the cold Atlantic Ocean and the temperate conditions and clayey soil produce wines similar to those of Northern France.

The valley, which stretches some 6km from Hermanus to Caledon, is surrounded and sheltered by mountains on all sides – Galpin Peak and the Glen Varloch range to the south and the Babylonstoring mountain range to the north – which trap cloud cover and retain moisture throughout the valley.

 The Onrust River winds its way through the valley where one of the youngest but fastest growing wine routes in South Africa is already establishing a name with its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay cultivars. The Bouchard Finlayson estate, Whalehaven Wines, Hamilton Russel Vineyards, Cape Bay and Sumaridge are open to the public for wine tastings.

For additional info on Hermanus see Hermanus Information where you can view photographs, read about atrractions, the whales that have made Hermanus famous and find accommodation in Hermanus for your next holiday!

The Franschhoek Motor Museum offers visitors a special opportunity to look back at more than 100 years of motoring history with its unique and exciting collection of vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles and memorabilia in the magnificent setting of L’Ormarins.

The Franschhoek Motor Museum’s collection exceeds 220 vehicles – ranging from a 1898 Beeston motor tricycle to a 2003 Ferrari Enzo supercar – and more than 80 exhibits will be on view at any one time, displayed in four de-humidified halls with a total floor area of 2700 m², and presented in chronological order.

Opening times:
Closed mondays
Tuesday to Friday 10:00 to 16:00 Last admittance
Saturday and Sunday 10:00 to 15:00 Last admittance

Address & Contact Details:
The Franschhoek Motor Museum 
L’Omarins Estate, Franschhoek, 7690, South Africa 
Telephone: +27 (0)21 874 9000
Fax: +27 (0)21 874 9100
Website: http://www.fmm.co.za

Related Pages:
Franschhoek Info & Attractions
Franschhoek Accommodation
Franschhoek Hotels