Moyo at Spier – The ultimate buffet lunch

I remember the first time I went to Spier Wine Estate after Moyo opened thinking that it so doesn't fit in with Spier and it surroundings at all.  But just walking past the outside and going inside to experience it are two totally different things and after having lunch at Moyo's the other day I have so changed my opinion.  Its the difference between Spier's Cape Dutch and colonial look and the free spirit African feel under the ancient oak trees that make the two ideal bedfellows.  The restaurant offers different kinds of seating from casually under the massive trees, privately on the stilted platforms or communally under the marquee tent.  We went for the "under the tree" option.

 

As soon as you are seated the ladies come by to paint the traditional African dots that has become so synonymous with a visit to the Moyo restaurants throughout South Africa.  Although I noticed that there were a couple of South African okes around who weren't too keen on it, the women and especially tourists love it.  And just in case you were wondering about this South African man.  Yes, I had my face dotted as well.

A nice touch I liked very much was the process of washing your hands at the table.  A staff member goes around with a pitcher, bowl and towel and I couldn't help but snap a picture of one of the guests on our table having her hands washed. 

 

 

But seating, face painting and hand washing niceties apart.  We were here to eat and the test taste of a restaurant is in its pudding.  Well all their food really.  Did they pass this test?  The food was orgasmic so the appropriate answer would be yes, yes, yes...  In actual fact, this is the buffet lunch that all other buffet lunches should aspire to be like.

The menu is extensive and consisted of starter, mains and dessert options.  Lots of it.  I was especially impressed with the Impala steak, so much so that I went back to tell the chef that, while some of us returned for another helping of the pumpkin fritters and little bite sized brownies. 

 

I think it's wrong to write a restaurant post like this if you aren't close to the restaurant cause my mouth is watering right now.  Unfortunately I live 800km away otherwise lunch at Moyo would have been on the cards.   

Disclosure: I had lunch at Moyo at Spier as guest of the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa.  I received no additional remuneration to write this post and all views expressed are my own.

On two wheels amongst the vinyards - Segway tour at Spier

Visits to wine farms are normally associated with wine tasting, good food and historic buildings so wizzing around Spier Wine Estate on two wheels is something of a change.  I'm not referring to riding a mountain bike though as the two wheels in this case are next to each other and not in front of each other.  I've done the Segway tours in Storms River Village on two previous occasions with Tsitsikamma Segway Tours and absolutely loved it so grabbed the opportunity to do it at Spier with both hands (although I did let go with one hand every now and then to snap a picture). 

Spier offers two options to choose from.  The shorter 1 hour tour that covers the Protea Garden, some of the farm's environmental responsibility projects and a quick view of the vineyards while the 2 hour tour allows for a longer tour of the vineyards before ending off with a wine tasting.  Our little group went on the shorter tour as we had a lunch reservation at Mojo's and made the most of every minute we were out there.  

Segways are easy to use and it doesn't take that long to learn how to ride them.  The instruction session is thorough and especially the safety issue gets emphasised.  The guide, who makes sure you implement everything you learned while out there, rides in the front and stops the group every time there is something to show.  The problem is that once you get going on the Segway you don't really want to stop. Its that much fun.  But safety is paramount and the equipment is expensive so you better listen.  The route does give you the opportunity to do some uninterrupted gliding as well giving you an all round Segway experience.

The Segway tour is a must do if you get the opportunity.  An easy way to cover a lot of ground in a sort period of time AND its environmentally friendly.  Plus I really really want one.  I'll have to settle for going on segway tours when I get the opportunity though. 

Disclosure: I went on the Spier Seaway Tour as guest of the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa during a fully hosted blogger tour.   I received no additional remuneration to write this post and all views expressed are my own.

Oak leaf dam

I don't do a lot of HDR, but I couldn't help but to play around with it on this photo a bit.  The photo was taken at Spier Wine Estate outside Stellenbosch overlooking the dam by the wine tasting venue. 

Spier Wine Estate - various view part 2

Today's post is the second part of the random Spier Wine Estate pictures I posted on Wednesday

Spier is a biodynamic farm and in addition to their healthy vineyards, they also have extensive tracts of land that is used to farm with cattle, sheep and chickens. All contributing to the fertility of the soil and providing to the operations on the estate.

I didn't get to do a wine tasting on my visit but one of the things that interested me was the fact that one of their wine tasting packages is a wine and chocolate pairing.

 Spier has a number of distinctive Cape Dutch buildings around the farm.  These white gabled and often thatched buildings are typical of some of the earlier manor houses built in the Cape.

 

Disclosure: I visited Spier Wine Estate as guest of the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa during a fully hosted blogger tour of Cape Town. I received no additional remuneration to write this post and all views expressed are my own.

Spier Wine Estate - various views part 1

Spier must be one of the most popular wine estates in the Cape Winelands by far due to their diverse offer to visitors.  This ranges from the traditional wine tastings to outstanding restaurants and things like Segway Tours, combining traditional wine estate activities with historic and modern aspects and throwing in a bit of adventure.  This is part one of two posts showing off some of the sights to be seen when visiting Spier.

 

Like every wine estate the focus is on... the wine of cause.  The main building houses the wine tasting, wine sales as well the booking office for the different activities.  Obviously all their awards are on display around here as well.  Wouldn't have it any other way. 

 

 The lawns around the little lake with its fountain is a stunning area with a lot of visitors and families just relaxing around here.  Spier does picnic baskets which can be enjoyed on the lawns while during our visit there was a group doing their wine tasting outside as well.

 

One of the historic attractions on the estate is the old slave bell.  Just a pity it wasn't a sunny day with blue skies.

 

Disclosure: I visited Spier Wine Estate as guest of the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa during a fully hosted blogger tour of Cape Town.  I received no additional remuneration to write this post and all views expressed are my own.

Orchards and Kannas

Driving along the wine farms between Robertson and Bonnievale recently there were a lot of orchards with Kanna flowers growing between it and the road.  I know in some areas they plant roses next to the orchards to warn the farmer of deceases but I'm not sure if the Kannas are for the same purpose or just to look beautiful.  Because they did look beautiful if nothing else.

Bonnievale landscape

Most international visitors to South Africa know and get to visit the wine routes around Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl, yet there are others as well.  One such wine route, which the locals indeed know of, is situated around the towns of Robertson and Bonnievale with some super wine estates along the Breede River.  The picture was taken on the R317 between the two towns.

Vergelegen tree

This black and white is of one of the historic Campher Trees at Vergelegen in Somerset West

Vergelegen

The Vergelegen Wine Estate in Somerset West is less than an hour's drive from Cape Town yet back in the 1700's it took three days by ox wagon to get there.  In 1700 Willem Adriaan van der Stel succeeded his father, Simon van der Stel, as governor of the Cape and it didn't take him long to claim himself a modest 30,000 hactre piece of land just like his father had done with Constantia.  The farm was on the slopes of the Hottentots Holland mountains with beautiful views of the Atlantic Ocean and was called 'Vergelegen' meaning 'situated far away' due to the distance from Cape Town.  Willem Adriaan planted vines as well as fruit orchards and also started farming with cattle and sheep.  Shortly after he left the Cape the estate was sold and divided into four separate farms namely Vergelegen, Lourensford, Morgenster and Cloetenburg. 

The old Cape Dutch style homestead has been turned into a museum offering visitors a glimpse into a 300 years of Vergelegen's existence showcasing select treasures of early Cape Furniture, objects and textiles.

Directly behind (or in front, depending how you look at it) the house stand five giant Camphor Trees.  These trees are the oldest living, officially documented trees on the sub-continent and was planted by van der Stel somewhere between 1700 and 1706.  The trees are officially protected and were proclaimed National Monuments in 1942.

To the side of the manor house visitors will find the Royal Oak.  The tree was planted in 1928 and according to the first plaque under it was grown from one of the last acorns of King Alfred's Oak at Blenheim Palace in England.  A second plaque states that acorns from this oak was personally collected on 23 April 1947 by His Majesty King George VI for replanting in Windsor Great Park.  Two other plaques commemorate the first visits to Vergelegen by Queen Elizabeth II (21 March 1995) and  Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall (5 November 2011).

Pink Vergelegen

One of the wine estates in the Western Cape I've always wanted to visit but never had the opportunity before was Vergelegen in Somerset West.  Earlier in the year I was in the area and pinched off an hour of my time to pop in for a look a this historic estate established by Governor Willem Adriaan van der Stel in 1700.  I'll do another post about the estate in general, but wanted to show off these two pictures of the old Cape Dutch style manor house seen from the garden which, on my visit, had the most beautiful pink flowers in bloom. 

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Sipping wines at The Wine Show

I never really "learned" to drink wine but that surely didn't stop me from attending and really enjoying the annual The Wine Show at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth this past weekend.  The weather over the weekend was miserable, wet and cold, so there was no better way to warm up the insides than going on an all out wine tasting safari at the show.

Most of the "big" and well known wine estates weren't represented at the show but this was perhaps a blessing in disguise because it gave visitors the opportunity to taste and discover wines from some of the country's premier boutique wine estates.  In fact I encountered a lot of wines that you can't even buy over the counter anywhere and which is only available by ordering direct.  The way the show works is that you get your glass at the door and then make your way around the expo tasting wines as you go.  And taste we did.

While some of the exhibitors just had their wines lined up on their counters, others went all out to showcase their wines along with breads, cheeses and flowers.  Even though we only visited towards the end of the second day, some of the exhibitors were still keenly telling us about their wines, estates and asking us which we preferred while others were just happy to pour away.

The wines varied from well bodied reds and light and fruity whites to bubbly sparkling wines and sweet dessert wines.  So like I said, I'm not much of a drinker, so by the end of my visit me head she was a turning a bit.  Looking at some of the other show goers I could imagine there were a few who may have been turning a tad more than  mine, but the guys from Goodfellas were on hand to take them home safely in their own cars.  So, did I learn to drink wine at the show?  I wouldn't say so, but I did discover one or two wines that will definitively make their way into my house in the near future.

Disclaimer: Our visit to the show was made possible by The Wine Show and Wine Extra.

Groot Constantia

The very first wine estate in the Cape I got to visit years ago was appropriately also the oldest wine estate in the Cape.  Groot Constantia was established in 1685 by Simon van der Stel who was the then Governor of the Cape of Good Hope.  The farm was used to grow fruit and vegetables, farm cattle and produce wine.  The original farm was broken up into three parts (Groot Constantia; Klein Constantia and Bergvliet) in 1712 after Van der Stel's death.  Today the Cape Dutch-style manor house is a museum with the exhibition of furniture, paintings, textiles, ceramics, brass, and copperware, provides an insight into the life of a successful 18th to late 19th century Cape farmer.

The Cloete family purchased the estate portion around the manor house in 1778 and planted extensive vineyards.  They also extended the manor house and added the Cloete Cellar building situated right behind the manor house.  The extension and wine cellar were designed by architect Louis Michel Thibault and the cellar's elaborate pediment gable was done by well known Cape sculptor Anton Anreith.

Walking towards the manor house along the lane of trees from the car park you pass the Jonkershuis complex.  The Jonkershuis Restaurant is the estate's main restaurant and sitting in the shade on a hot summers day with a glass of cold Constantia wine in hand can't be beaten.  The complex also has an Orientation Centre that uses panel, object and archaeological displays to give an overview of Groot Constantia from the past to present.  There is also a collection of carriages on display in the Coach House.

My personal point of view?  I love Groot Constantia.  Its easy to get to and there is so much to see.  If you aren't into the old and historic you can go wine tasting or just order a picnic basket from the restaurant and relax under the trees.  Groot Constantia does get very busy during peak holiday season though and there can be loads of individual travellers and tour groups about, so like most of the attractions around Cape Town it is a good idea to visit when its not as hectic.

Groot Constantia gate

Somebody asked me if anything has happened because they don't see any new blog posts other than on PEDP.  But don't worry, I haven't been abducted by an alien race from another planet.  I've been away at Tourism Indaba in Durban for the last week or so and didn't have time to do any forward posts for this blog.  As blogging is a hobby for me I have to fit it in where I have time available and time has been a very scarce commodity lately.  This means that I often sit and blog in the evenings when I should be giving attention to the Damselfly, the Kidz and things at home which then means it only gets done late at night.  Oh how I wish I could travel and blog professionally.  Then the time thing wouldn't be such a bother.  Anyway, I digress.  I still have a couple of Cape Town posts to get through which I will try and fit in over the next week or two (depending on the time).

Cape Point Vineyards

Visitors to the Cape would normally associate wine with the Stellenbosch and Franchhoek areas, so big was my surprise to discover the Cape Point Vineyard on the Cape Peninsula just outside Noordhoek.  Although some reports show that vines were planted in the Noordhoek area as early as 1752, the Cape Point Vineyard's first vines were only planted in 1998.  The vineyard is situated on a narrow strip of land between the cold Atlantic and the mountain with the warm summers and cool sea breeze creating the perfect micro climate with slow ripening conditions.

I'm not much of a wine drinker but couldn't resist escaping the family for an hour or so to go wine tasting at the vineyard's tasting facility.  They have two wine brands that they market, the first under the vineyard label,  Cape Point Vineyards, and the second one being their funky label called “Splattered Toad”.  They produce both white and red wines but their Sauvignon Blanc is world class and has won several awards over the last couple of years.  You can start by tasting a minimum of three wines (for curious non drinkers like me) or there are options that include more wines.  They also have a deli on site and you can order cheese, cold meats and fruit to enjoy with your wine. 

The Cape Point Vineyard, and specially their irrigation dam and system, is a primary breeding ground for the Western Leopard Toad which is endemic to the area.  The toad is also the figurehead of Noordhoek and the Vineyard has started working closely together with the local residents and Toad NUTS (Noordhoek Unpaid Toadsavers) in their conservation efforts of these toads.  The Splattered Toad label is based on the Western Leopard Toad and R1 gets donated to the conservation initiative for every bottle of Splattered Toad sold.  Funding was also made available by Cape Point Vineyards to, amongst others, erect signage to warn traffic of toad breeding zones.

Cruising the Breede River at Viljoensdrift

There is probably no better way to enjoy the Viljoensdrift wines than leisurely cruising along the Breede River on a sunny day.  The Viljoensdrift wine estate offers one hour cruises up and down the river from their shop and tasting area on the farm and although we're not wine lovers (and you don't have to actually drink wine to go on the cruise), we decided to go for the outing.

The boat seats about 40 people and most of our fellow passengers bought wine from the estate before the cruise to take along.  Ours was a nice hot sunny day with no wind and it was ideal for cruising.  Just to show how laid back it was, Chaos Boy who doesn't sit still for long on the best of days were up and down the steps and literally hung from the rafters next to the boat's captain... and nobody even batted a eye lit. 

I think the most innovative idea that goes along with the cruise is the fact that passengers get given a "Create a picnic basket" menu containing items from the deli on check-in at the wine estate.  As you board you get given your picnic basket and wine to take on board.  As we were going for lunch after the cruise we didn't order anything to eat, but the family next to us did I got the opportunity to take a snap of them tucking in.

Viljoensdrift Wine Tasting

While visiting the town of Montagu we didn't really venture through Cogmanskloof into the Robertson Valley area and rather explored our immediate surroundings.  One morning we did decided to venture through the kloof with our camping neighbours and ended up at Viljoensdrift Wine Estate near Bonneyvale for a river cruise on the Breede River. 

We had about an hour or so to wait (or waste, which ever word rocks your boat) before the cruise departed so while the women and children sat out on the deck, Bertie (the neighbour) and myself decided to have a closer look at the wines that the estate has on offer.

I'm not a big wine drinker, not by a long shot, but I really enjoy wine tastings.  Sometimes I can pick up the fruity (or chocolate or chili or whatever else) fragrances and tastes that they say you are supposed to taste in your mouth, but being somebody who prefers a sweet wine I often just try not too pull my face.  Viljoensdrift has a couple of very nice wines with my favorite being, surprise surprise, their dessert wine.