We befriended a local cab driver, Gordon, who agreed to drive us up to and around the wine country for two days. He picked us up in his old school Mercedes and we headed up to Stellenbosch, about an hour outside of Cape Town.

Our first stop was Spier, which is large and a bit touristy but had beautiful grounds and a cheetah park. We enjoyed their chenin blanc and pinotage, Next was Neethlingshof which was smaller and had some excellent wines, our favorite being the Gewurtzaminer. We don't typically drink it in the US, but this one was not so sweet.

Next to Delheim for lunch. We had an excellent cheese platter in their downstairs cellar but were not especially impressed with any of their wines. Next door was Muratie which is known for its ports. The tasting room was old and rustic with bottles dating back to their origin. The pourers were lively and we really enjoyed their port and shiraz.

We ended the day at Boschendal which is one of the most popular vineyards in Stellenbosch. They have acres and acres of beautiful grounds and a new tasting area on a huge lawn. We walked around the grounds and enjoyed a leisurely sit-down tasting in the garden.

We checked into the Otter's Bend, a small lodge in Franschoek. It is situated on a river and feels miles from everything, but is just a short walk from town. The owners were lovely and welcoming and we enjoyed talking with them and some of the guests before heading out to dinner.

We hadn't booked a reservation and it was late by the time we made it to town, but ended up at a newish restaurant called French Connection and had a wonderful meal. In the morning Chris and I hiked up the mountain just beind the lodge and had wonderful views of the entire valley. I imagine this is how Napa or Sonoma looked years ago.

We began the day at Haute Cabriere which was far and away our favorite. The cellar is built into the side of the hill which used to be a quarry. It's is very inconspicuous, as the local govenment had requested to preserve the beauty of the area. We were given a tour of the cellar by the owner's wife. She was extremely funny and knowledgable and told some entertaining stories. We had a tasting at a large table and enjoyed all of their sparkling wines and especially their pinot noir. They are one of the only vineyards in SA that does a pinot and it is excellent. Our trunk was definitely sitting lower after this stop!

Next we headed out towards Paarl to Fariview Winery. They are known for their goats and there was a little round structure out front (kind of like a lighthouse) with spiral stairs that the goats climb up and down. Their grounds were small but quite nice. We had a lovely lunch in their restaurant, The Goatshead, followed by tasting in a rather hectic cellar. Their wines have cute names like "Goats do Roam" and "Bored Doe." They were all drinkable, but as we learned that they are available at Trader Joe's, we didn't feel the need to buy any.

We ended the day at Seidelberg which we actually stumbled upon on the way to another vineyard. Their tasting area is on a huge lawn overlooking all of the valley. Our pourer was a young woman from Versailles just finishing up an internship. We really enjoyed talking with her and were fond of the pinotage.

With a full trunk, it was time to head back to Cape Town. It had been a lovely escape. We really enjoyed everywhere we went and the people we met and even learned a thing or two. Not to mention we should be well set with good wine for the remainder of our trip!