Cruising with wine down the Breede River...

The 

Picture this. A perfect summer's day, a picnic with cheese, wine & other delicacies and a slow cruise down the Breede River in one of the most beautiful areas of the Western Cape, the Robertson Wine Valley. Introducing Viljoensdrift and the slow boat.…

I was invited to experience their barge cruise and picnic two weeks ago. What a treat. From McGregor, where I was staying for the second weekend in a row (yes, that’s how much I love it), it’s a 10 minute drive to Viljoensdrift, scenically gorgeous too.

First thing you see on arrival at the estate is a lush green lawn dotted with people lazing about on the grass enjoying the beautiful outdoors. Inside I met Zonia Lategan one of the winemakers, Ashley Jaftha from Sales and Marketing and fortuitously, Fred Viljoen, one of two brothers who own this amazing farm. Turned out Fred and my husband Paul knew each other so while they chatted, I went with Ashley to select a few gourmet items from the well stocked deli for our on-board feast. My wine of choice was the Single Vineyard Pinotage 2014  Vitis Vinifera double gold winner 2015 and I could see why - so smooth, with “Incredible rich black red colour-superb balance…concentrated dense fruit, great complexity….”  to quote their own description. 

Feeling a bit like Red Riding Hood with my picnic basket in the crook of my arm, stuffed with delectables, I stepped onto the flat bottom boat, named Uncle Ben 2, with husband and son in tow, and off we sailed on a 50 minute cruise down the Breede. What glorious views flank the river and it was so fabulous to be able to enjoy it all over a glass or three of top notch vino, ciabatta rolls oozing ripe camembert and fig preserves, and smothered in smoked olive tapenade, boerkaas cheese and basil pesto. You should be having #fomo right about now!

The cruise costs only R50 for adults and includes a wine tasting prior to departure. For children between 3 and 12 years, it’s R20 pp.  The boat can accommodate 38 people and departs daily at 12:00pm, irrespective of the number of people. Thereafter trips are hourly depending on bookings (a minimum of 6 adults or a minimum amount of R300 will be required to let the boat depart).  Advanced bookings are essential via +27 23 615 1017 or email rivercruises@viljoensdrift.co.za. Check in time is 30 minutes prior to departure. Don’t be late*

With thanks to Mira Weiner from Hot Oven Marketing for this opportunity.

McGregor staycation...one of my best escapes...

Staycation, McGregor. Please can I go back, tomorrow.  Lateral Paul and I have just spent a day and a night there and I can’t remember when last we arrived at a destination and morphed into relax mode in .5 seconds. 

McGregor is calm. I’ve 'staycated' at a fair amount of country villages over the last few months and I think McG takes my top spot for R&R in the true sense of the word. Lateral Paul loved it so much he’s thinking of buying property... yes please to that.

The town, established in the 19^th century, is in the heart of the Breede River winelands and is just as I imagine it to have been many moons ago. I’m told not much has changed over the past few decades, and therein lies its magic. I adore country towns but it’s quite rare nowadays to find somewhere so utterly peaceful….a place were tensions dissipate on arrival and city stress doesn’t stand a chance. White washed thatched houses, one main street and dusty side roads....my kind of happy place.

Ons Huisie, also called Almond Tree cottage, was where we stayed and we so loved it. It’s perfectly un-posh, rustic and unpretentious, with two bedrooms (sleeps four in total) and all the comforts. Well, not exactly all, as there’s no Wifi which turned out to be the best thing ever, as no digital means an opportunity to connect, read a book and be free from incessant Whats App notifications.

 Inside Ons Huisie... rustic charm, & lovely finishing touches...

First thing we did was flop into deck chairs in the self sustaining garden, a lovely space bordered by striking purple bougainvillea, succulents, climbing roses, cacti and hedges with brightly coloured little birds and a beautiful stray cat I fell in love with...

Milky cat beard... too sweet...

Come evening, we headed off to The Old Post Office, a famous whiskey bar that is reputed to have the second largest whiskey selection in the Cape, after the Bascule at the Cape Grace. We had delightful conversation with the owner, a Salford, UK native, called John Oldham. He also introduced us to a local beer brand called Saggy Stone. Since my trip to Tokyo 2 years ago, where beer was way more affordable than wine, and oh so tasty, I’ve become a froth fan so it was great to sample the local fare. Dinner was at the equally well known Karoux, an intimate restaurant space that seats around 20 pax indoors, run by Aimee and Ryan Josten. Excellent cuisine, a lovely ambience and they allowed us to take our own wine which was fabulous because it was a bottle of Springfield’s Work of Time, a Bordeaux style blend that is a masterpiece!

John from The Old Post Office...

Karoux restaurant, amazing by day or night...

Sunday morning found us having breakfast at Tebaldi’s at Temenos, where Lateral Paul immediately made friends with a local olive farmer. After making swift work of my poached eggs, I left him to chat and ambled off meet a friend at How Bazaar and buy lunch at Dudley’s Larder, the little deli next to Karoux, owned by Aimee and Ryan, that stocks delish cheeses, charcuterie, free range duck eggs and more. Suffice to say our lunch on the stoep at Ons Huisie was a sumptuous feast, with superb chardonnay from Springfield (currently my absolute fave wine brand) and an excellent local red.

The best in locally sourced wine, cheese, asparagus, bread rolls, all from Dudley's Larder...

So if you need an escape, for any amount of days, take a drive along the jaw droppingly beautiful Route 62 and head off to McGregor. Let your only distraction be listening to the birds and watching bees plunge headlong into flowers-I kid you not, I had time to notice that, as the picture below proves. 

Embrace the slowness why don't you. I’ve already booked to go back, so watch this space for Part ll of my McG getaway as I plan to do way more that you’ll find really interesting.

Bee going bottoms up...

Invigorating!

My staycation at Ons Huisie was courtesy of the efficient and welcoming Mira Weiner from McGregor Country Getaways, info@mcgregor-accommodation.co.za / 076 411 9477.

I'm @allisonfoat on all my social media platforms – follow me, I’ll take you places.

Photos taken by myself on a Canon DSLR 600D and iPhone 6+

Lunch with Karen Dudley at the Company's Garden Restaurant

It's not for nothing that Cape Town is listed as one of the top foodie destinations in the world. Conde Nast Traveler said it and I couldn't agree more. We are oozing chef talent all over our amazing city.

Karen Dudley of The Kitchen (in Woodstock) fame has put together an irresistible lunch table at the Company's Garden Restaurant which is owned by the Madame Zingara group. Richard Griffin & Karen, two old friends making new culinary magic. 

There are dishes to make both vegetarians (bulghar patties with hummus, aubergine ratatoullie) & meat lovers (honey mustard pork bangers) smile & a lot of the delish fresh produce is hand picked in the garden alongside the restaurant. 

Lunch with Karen is available Monday's to Friday's from 12h to 14h. The Company's Garden is at 15 Victoria Street, 0214232919.

After lunch take a walk around the rest of the gardens ...feed the squirrels, pigeons and geese, lie on the lawns, read a book on a bench...it's a great green space in the middle of town.

Karen..

Heinrich, Richard, Karen & Julia...

I've got my copy!

Two flights & a conversion

This past Friday has officially been clocked as one of my best days in Cape Town, ever. With two flights, a sublime food experience and an unexpected wine conversion, it was a gorgeous day and an unforgettable experience.

First stop on our outing was the five star 12 Apostles for lunch, a hotel & spa about five minutes from Camps Bay, perfectly positioned between the Atlantic and the Twelve Apostles mountain range, with superb sweeping views across an expanse of ocean towards Lion’s Head. Our gourmet meal was a delicious three course affair, made all the finer by the excellent service we received throughout at the airy blue and white Azure restaurant where Head Sommelier Gregory Mutambe, quite the expert, introduced us to the first flight of our day, a tasting of a selection of three amazing wines of our choosing. If it’s white wine I’m going to be having, then I’ll generally opt for a wooded chardonnay or chenin, but on this beautiful early winter’s day, let it be known that I was completely won over by the Bouchard Finlayson 2012 Sauvignon Blanc Reserve. Make no mistake, the other wines offered were wonderful, but that Reserve was something rather special and may just become my new favourite vino blanco.

After all that indulgent feasting that ended with panacotta and sorbet desserts and  'homemade' chocolates that were too divine for words, it was time for the second flight du jour, in a chopper, courtesy NAC Helicopters. We were escorted through the 12A, along a short trail behind the hotel that wound through aromatic fynbos (one of my best frangrances in life) to the helipad and then whisked off to the V&A Waterfront. What a breathtaking journey. We flew out over the bay, pulling up above Lion’s Head with Robben Island on the left and then cruised along the coast past Clifton, Camps Bay and Sea Point, coming in to land at the Waterfront facing Table Mountain flanked by Devil’s Peak and Signal Hill. 

Views to blow your hair back-it really doesn’t get any better than that. What a city we live in…it never ceases to amaze me.

This unique 12A offering costs R1650, and includes a one way helicopter flight (minimum two guests per flight) from the Waterfront to the hotel, a 3 course lunch at Azure with a flight of three wines, and a hotel shuttle back to the V&A. Spoil yourself with this…you deserve it. You may thank me afterwards.

An elegant entrance..

Foyer blooms...

A five star gourmet lunch...

A blue, silver-grey & white theme adds to the airy feeling of the Azure restaurant...

Bouchard Finlayson's Sauvignon Blanc Reserve, my conversion from Chardonnay is a fait accompli...

 Fans & fleurs...

Salads & sorbets...

Soft centred chocolates...

Masood Sadulla, Head Concierge, looked after us beautifully throughout our lunch and saw us safely on board...

Flight 2...ready for take~off...

In that...

Views...the scenic coast road, Lion's Head far left & the Twelve Apostles Mountains to the right..

Taking my Converse to new heights...

Looking down past a rotor blade onto the 4 blue flag Clifton beaches..

Sea Point...

Devil's Peak & Table Mountain, the City, & in front (right) the Cape Town Stadium...

Lion's Head & the V&A Waterfront in the foreground...

Back on terra firma with my fellow flighties, Janie van der Spuy (Five Star PR), Bianca Coleman (Saturday Argus), moi (Cape Town Diva/DIVA PR) & Hannah Deall (Cape Town Tourism)

All photographs by Allison Foat/DIVA PR

More About The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa

The five-star Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa, situated on Cape Town’s – if not the world’s - most scenic route, recently celebrated its 10th birthday. Well established as the city’s leading boutique hotel, The Twelve Apostles Hotel is a member of Leading Hotels of the World and prides itself in offering guests that ‘personal touch’. Guests are five minutes from the most beautiful beaches and Camps Bay, 15 minutes from the city centre and V&A Waterfront, and within easy reach of many vineyards within the Cape Winelands. Helicopter transfers are also available to offer an exhilarating experience flying over the spectacular peninsula. Being at the water’s edge of a marine reserve means there are frequent whale and dolphin sightings in season. Surrounded by nature only, the hotel is flanked by the majestic Table Mountain and the Twelve Apostles mountain range within the Table Mountain National Park. The interior design is inspired by its namesake, creating a fresh, calming environment that artfully combines sophistication with simplicity, comfort and elegance. Guests are spoilt with spectacular views of the ocean and mountain views in each of the 70  bedrooms each superbly designed to provide the utmost comfort and style. The hotel has two swimming pools perched above the ocean; its award-winning health and beauty spa, Azure, the Café Grill, and the Leopard Room Bar & Lounge; a 16-seater private cinema; and meeting and events facilities for up to 90 guests.