An old school friend is a doctor and her and her hubby live and work in Worcester. My school friends and I have been threatening to visit for ages and eventually we got all our schedules to coincide for a weekend away. Debs had arranged a full day for the Saturday and organised her hubby to be the designated driver (brave man) while we all went wine tasting at various Breedekloof Estates.
The Breedekloof area extends from Bainskloof to the surrounds of Worcester and Rawsonville with many of the estates being relatively unknown to many of us on the trip. We left it to Debs expertise and after all 7 of us had piled into the car we were ready to go. The weather was rather dismal and we arrived at our first estate Merwida somewhat resembling drowned rats.
We were warmly welcomed by the two members of staff on duty and were invited to sit on the large comfy couches and leather arm chairs. The wines were all rather tasty, but it still feels a bit strange drinking wine before midday.
Nonetheless I did find two exceptional wines which I simply had to own – a Shiraz Rose (an easy drinking summer wine which works well for any occasion) and then a red blend called Barbera (rich and full-bodied and perfect for a cold wintery evening). After our first stop the car was already packed with purchases to take home and the conversation became slightly more animated.
Photographs โ Left: Merwida tasting room / Centre: What are those legs like? / Right: Wet and cold outside
Off we headed to our next stop at Bergsig, which to my surprise has an extensive range of wines. From their own signature Bergsig varietals to the house brands of Woolworths. We had a wonderful tasting here, which was slightly more formal than the previous estate.
It was really informative and we had a lovely animated lady who was willing to answer our many questions. I left this estate with some of the Chenin Blanc, which offered very reasonable cellar prices.
Photographs โ Left: Bergsig tasting room / Right: Wines on display
Our stomachs had begun to grumble and off we headed to our third and final destination at Jason’s Hill where we would also be having lunch. We were eager to get inside and settle down because we were all quite cold and ready to fill our bellies.
Lunch for me was an easy choice as soon as I had spotted Waterblommetjiebredie on the menu I didn’t need to look further. Although I did have a slight dilemma when I also spotted lamb shank, but the bredie was a winner for me because it isn’t often I see that.
Photographs โ Left: Juicy burger / Centre: Waterblommetjiebredie Right: Do we have enough wine?
The food was very reasonably priced and extremely tasty. The majority of the group opted for the home made burger with delicious toppings and from the silence at the table during the meal it was quite obvious that it was being enjoyed.
I devoured my bredie, if you don’t know what it is it’s a typically Afrikaans stew that is made from meat (usually lamb) and waterblommetjies which are found in marshes and dams in the Western Cape. It is hearty and warm and delicious, I would highly recommend it – as I scraped off every last morsel with the bread that accompanied it.
After stocking the car with the last few bottles of wine purchased we headed back home for a bit of relaxation, at home “wine tasting” and a braai in the evening.
Destination Information:
If you’d like to see the other wine estates in South Africa check out these maps.
