Visiting the Goat Father

Stellenbosch
January 4th, 2009

The family inched closer to Cape Town and enjoyed a couple of nights in Stellenbosch. We started off our tour by going to Moyo, a brilliant African entertainment experience. The set up of the restaurant is amazing with different eating areas. We were in the more touristy location, sitting at a table under the main tent with perfect views of the stages. The other areas included tables at tree houses, tables around a garden, and couches around a bar. Each different area would provide a completely different experience. The food we ate was really nice, a massive a buffet African style spread with virtually anything you could think of. Entertainment was provided by dancers, traditional and modern, and bands, the best of which is courtesy of the Congo with an amazing female singer.

We decided to do what all people do there – foreign and local- and go wine tasting. Heading in the car, we hit the Fairview wine and cheese farm. As you drive into the parking lot, you see a small fenced in tower with three goats roaming around. This scene is pictured as a logo on some of their wine collection. Moving inside the building we had two choices for wine tasting; a general wine tasting tour or a master wine tasting tour. Andrew, my brother, connoisseur that he is, suggested the master tour and it turned out to be potentially the best decision of his life (well, just under his choice of wife who is unbelievably fantastic). We were escorted to a glassed room at the back of the wine tasting area that was finished in beautiful woods and stones, and introduced to our very own wine master. At the table in front of us were rectangular white plates with eight little squares of cheese, a basket with bread and three different olive oils. Presented with menus we learned that we would taste eight different wines chosen to correspond perfectly with the cheeses. The tasting began and it was incredible. The combinations were heavenly. After a very happy tasting session, we loaded the car up with just under a dozen bottles of Fairview’s finest along with a sizable collection of cheese.

Feeling snackish after our tour we decided to go for food. We headed towards Boschendal for a picnic. And not just any picnic, a Renoir style picnic complete with fresh linens, delicious wines, newly baked baguettes, salads, quiches, pates and brownies. Karel and I knew how fabulous the picnic was as dear friends of ours, Alinda and Emile, had taken us previously on our first visit to the Cape Town area. Once utterly satisfied we headed to Franschoek to pick up a few essentials, you know, some woven baskets, a few carved hippos, and elephant or two, essentials.