Hermanus

We had wanted to visit Hermanus for quite a while, because some of our very favorite wineries are in that area (Bouchard Finlayson, Ataraxia, and Hamilton Russell).  We finally made it down there, and it did not disappoint.

Hermanus is a small town, about 90 minutes east of Cape Town.  It’s famous for its beaches and champagne, and also for whale watching.  Beginning every July, the Southern Right Whales come back to Walker Bay to breed.

We did not visit during whale season this year, but we had a wonderful visit.  We stayed in a small bed & breakfast by a river that come off of the ocean.  In the tall grasses between our place and the water, birds and crickets chirped as we watched a beautiful sunset.  Later that evening we braaied (barbecued) up some delicious food in our kitchenette, and relaxed in the warm evening.

We’ll definitely return to see the whales in a few months.

Hermanus Valley

Hermanus Sunset

Lisa Trying to Braai

Wine X

We went to the biggest wine tasting of the year in Cape Town, and the largest consumer wine show in the Southern Hemisphere.  It’s called Wine X, and it features the best wines  from all over the country.  So clearly, we had to go.

Chris picked Lisa up from work, and we grabbed a quick bite to eat before we went in, we wanted to be ready.  We walked in the Cape Town Convention Centre, and huge modern conference facility, made of glass and steel, right downtown.  When we walked in, there were a bunch of servers in tuxedos to our right, so Chris walked right over and joined the party.  Come to find out, that wasn’t our party.  After a couple of snacks there, the servers told us the cool party with wine was futher on.  So we pushed on.

We passed the enormous cheese booth, and walked into the main room.  The room was huge, so big it was organized with large banners alphabetizing the room.  It went A thru Z, and then AA, well past LL.  We got out our booklet and pen, and started around the room.  It was absolutely packed with people, and honestly sometimes we had to throw a subtle elbow so we wouldn’t get pushed around.  Wine is clearly a big hit here!  It was a big hit with us too.  The night was a lot of fun.  We tried great wines, spoke to people from all over the country, and celebrated a great South African industry.

Some of our favorite winemakers are:

Ataraxia Mountain Vineyard

Bouchard Finlayson

Hamilton Russell

Backsberg Estate Cellars

Ken Forrester

Boekenhoutskloof

Capaia Wines

Kleine Zalze

Cape Point Vineyards