Almenkerk

The lady at Highlands Road told us that this winery would also be open today, so we went and checked it out. I am so glad she suggested this place as we both just loved it!! The previous two wineries were also nice, but this was on another level of its own.

The building is impresssive, the view is impressive, and then the service is impressive!! We drove through very high walls in to the courtyard area where the parking is. As soon as we got out of the car we saw the awesome view, and the stunning building. We were greeted by the winemaker, he introduced us to friends he had over for some wine. We sat outside to enjoy our tasting. The winemaker was so pleasant, he spent time going through each wine with us and made us feel so welcome.

The wine was really nice!!! We had a beautiful Sauvignon Blanc 2010 to start with. This sells for R90 a bottle. It had beautiful grassy flavours and was very nicely balanced. I really liked this wine. Then we had the Chardonnay 2010 (R120) which we just loved!!! We had to buy some bottles of this. If we had the money we would have bought a case. This Chardonnay took us by surprise!! It had great flavour, was zesty, balanced, just awesome!!! To finish, we tried the red blend: 1/3 Shiraz, 1/3 Merlot, 1/6 Cabernet Franc, 1/6 Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% viognier. This was light, balanced and also very nice!!

He took several of us through his cellar also. It is quite a small cellar, but he explained that he likes the volume he makes. As he said, if he expands, he will then have to expand on everything. As far as I was concerned, his wine was so great, I am happy he has kept his volume of wine low compared to other wineries, because he has great quality and great tasting wine!! So long as there is enough wine for us to stock up on also, we will be happy.

This winery is a must visit!! I can't wait to take some of my friends here. In fact, after we went to Highlands Rd, South Hill and this winery, we were hooked on the wine region and agreed to come back for a weekend to try visit more. Such a great wine region, fantastic wines, lovely scenery and really friendly people!!

I think this has become my new favourite wine region!!

Highlands Road

Second on our list was Highlands Road. We were there just ten minutes before closing, and were greeted by children running past saying hello. There were children playing in the water, kayaking etc. It was so nice to see!!

The winemakers wife came out to greet us. I said to her I realise that we are pushing it close to the time they close, and she said it was no problem and welcomed us inside for a tasting.

We went through the entire list of wines to try, and had such a nice experience. The lady serving us was very friendly, informative and enjoyable to do the tasting with. We tried the Sauvignon Blanc 2009 (R62 - currently on special for R45). This was beautifully balanced and smooth. She said that this wine could last easily until 2019. I was impressed. The Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc 2010 is a 50/50 blend, it sells for R60 and is called Sincera, which means without wax. This wine was smooth, creamy, fruity and balanced. The Rosé 2009 (R30) was made with Merlot grapes. It was soft, slightly sweet and balanced. The Shiraz/Merlot 2009 (R65) had a nice smell, it was smooth, balanced, slightly dry/powdery. She let us try their new Sauvignon Blanc dessert wine, it was unlabelled at the time, selling for R50 a bottle. This was beautifully balanced, light, not syrupy, just loved it!! It has 12% alcohol.

At this winery, they also have a restaurant. They serve breakfast and lunch. Breakfast prices range from R40-45 and lunch will cost between R35-50. There is also a deli platter for R70.The restaurant is open from 9am - 3pm Wednesday to Sunday.

There is a lovely decking beside the water, where you can enjoy a nice meal. I would highly recommend visiting this winery and enjoy their lovely wine, views and food. I could definitely spend a few hours on the decking beside the water.

Souh Hill

Today we were driving back to Cape Town from Sandbaai. We decided to visit a few wineries on our way back. As it was Sunday, there were only two wineries along the Valley Rd/Highlands Rd that were open for wine tastings. So we turned left on to Valley Road and made our way to South Hill first.

The winery is very lovely!! The building is nice, the view is nice, and the interior decorating has a neat feeling to it. It is very welcoming and has style. We walked in to the restaurant, I definitely want to come here for a meal sometime!! The tasting is done at the bar in the restaurant. A tasting is free at this winery.

The waiter served us all three wines to try, and didn't tell us anything about the wine, but we were left with the bottles, so at least we could read the labels if nothing else. I wasn't too bothered about the fact we weren't told anything about the wines, as it kind of added to the charm of this place.

We tried the Sauvignon blanc 2010 (R60), this was very nice, it was fruity, smooth, balanced and delicious!! The Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé 2011 (R40) was also soft and tasty. The Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 (R70) was soft, balanced, and had a slight powdery aftertaste.

We had a look at the menu and they do a 2 course for R165 and a 3 course for R195. There is a selection of 3 entreés, 4 mains and 2 desserts. The food on the menu sounded very nice and I felt the selection was ideal.

We looked around the winery, admiring the views and checking out wedding venue possibilities. It all was lovely, and I do think a wedding here would be nice. The photos they had on display for weddings at their winery, were really beautiful!! Be sure to take a look at the photo album.

This is a lovey winery to visit when out this way. If you are planning a meal while on your wine tour, put this one on your list.