Wine Tasting

On our second day in South Africa we went wine tasting.  Before coming on SAS I had no idea that wine tours were a popular activity to do in South Africa.  However, it was recommended to us by several people who had been on SAS or had been to South Africa before and many students seemed to have it in their plans.  Regardless, I would have been up for it since I love wine and I had never been wine tasting before.  We hired a driver for the day and he took us to 3 different places.  Each one was unique but they were all so beautiful in their own way.  As I write in my blog I am realizing that it is becoming more and more difficult to give things meaning because there are only so many times I can use the words “beautiful” and “my favorite” without having them lose their impact.  But take my word for it—these vineyards were incredible and the weather was perfect.

The first place we went to was a little white cottage that was surrounded by bright colored flowers and backed up to a beautiful vineyard.  The inside of the cottage was filled with interesting artwork and an elegant bar with wine glasses of all different shapes and sizes.  When we first walked outside onto the back patio we rested on large beanbag chairs and waited while they prepared our wine.  We felt like queens.  When it was time to try the wine, we all sat at a table and listened while the woman described the different grapes that went into making the various red and white wines.  At this point we were the only people there so we had the whole place to ourselves.  It was nice because it was only us girls.  Originally we were supposed to have some of our guy friends with us but we all agreed that it wouldn’t have been the same.

The second place we went to was very different.  One reason being there were other people there other than us.  This was partly because there was also a restaurant and a place where you could see different animals in the same area, which meant there were also local craftsman selling their artwork along the pathway. It was great because we got to see antelopes, ostriches, owls, and other popular animals of Africa without having to go somewhere else.  However, it was a little less intimate.  We also weren’t served our wine. (Heaven forbid!  I guess we had become a bit spoiled by this point.)  Instead, we had a little paper with our wine selections and each time we finished a glass, we had to go back up the bar and wait for our next one.  We were able to choose 5 out of the 8 different wines.  Each one we picked had a description on the back that matched up with it. For example, if you are “bold, laid back, comfortable, classic,” you would pick Merlot.  If you are “energetic, stylish, charming, crisp,” you would pick Sauvignon Blanc.  And so on and so forth.  I chose mine strictly based on the descriptions without looking at the wines and I ended up loving all of them. 

The final place we went to was in a wooden lodge that had an outdoorsy vibe to it with a fireplace and animals hanging on the walls.  It was pretty on the inside but the backyard was the best part.  We walked out the backdoor to one of the most picture-perfect places I’ve ever seen.  The patio stood in front of an open lawn filled with bright green grass, gardens, and a small pond. As if that wasn’t enough, there was a breathtaking view of mountains in the background.  We learned it is a very popular place for weddings and it is easy to see why.  Since we figured that none of us would likely get the chance to come back and have our wedding pictures taken there, my friends and I decided the next best thing would be to have a bunch of pictures of us taken there.  So our driver quickly transformed into professional photographer and followed us, already giggly from the wine, all around the lawn, capturing our girly group poses on camera.  I’m sure he loved it.  (Even though that was meant to be sarcastic, I actually do think he enjoyed his day with us because when we went back to the office later to pay, he told his boss, “these girls hired me to show them a good time in South Africa, but they really gave me a fun day.”  He was such a nice guy and I really appreciate his patience in putting up with so many chatty and excited girls all day.  I think he may have had daughters of his own.)

Again, I struggle to find the appropriate word to describe this day since I have had so many wonderful and unforgettable experiences throughout this journey and in South Africa alone.  However, this relaxing and intimate day filled with breathtaking views, delicious wine, and good conversation is one that I will always look back on and remember as absolute bliss.