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Exploring South Africa’s Wines and a Safari!
Flashing blue & red lights and not even 60 minutes in South Africa; as the tour bus heads to the side of the road, all of us are exchanging looks of concern. Stories of crime and the dangers of going to this land run through our heads. South Africa (SA) is a land of many vivid contrasts and this is simply your friendly policeman letting us know we have a headlight burned out.
My wife, Deb, and I journeyed to the Cape Town area of South Africa as guests of KWV Wines (http://www.kwv.co.za/) in early May. We stayed an extra three nights to explore local breweries, additional wine businesses, and tourist attractions. SA is a land of historic wineries, lions, brandy distilleries, penguins, guest places in a jet set city or tents out on safari. And the Rand, SA's currency has dropped compared to the dollar... giving an edge to the Western Cape area in our search for Vine Park's first Wine Trip destination.
Clearly the biggest challenge with a Wine Trip to Cape Town is getting there. We left Minneapolis and arrived in Cape Town about 24 hours later. But the excitement of arrival (and traffic stops) carried us to our destination of Paarl, one of the three main wine cities of Africa. South Africa is the only significant source of wine in the entire continent. In addition, Franschhoek and Stellenbosch make up the key wine producing areas.
Both wine and brandy making started hundreds of years ago when Cape Town was established as a provisions stop for sailers trying make their way around Africa to the exotic Far East. Unlike those sailers we were staying and enjoying the fruits of the land.
 Our first full day included touring the headquarters of KWV, seeing the world's largest wooden wine barrels (when assembled, all sixty workers climbed into one to have a party!), and a wine tasting all by 10:30am! By 11am we were at wine estate of Laborie, the "jewel" in KWV's portfolio of wineries.
So, at 11am we started our next wine tasting led by Manfred, an attorney who retired from Germany & went through a 3 year degree program at the Stellenbosch University on wine making. He took us though the distinctions of fine Laborie wines and how the tastes varied by the grape, the time in the wood, and other time honored tricks of the wine maker. Six wines later, on to the restaurant with a number of the KWV executives for, as we came to call it, "the lunch that never ended." in a good way of course. When you dine with wine company people, the wine flows like .... well wine.
 After a short two hour break, we were racing to the Durbanville Hills to experience sunset overlooking the Atlantic ocean, Table Mountain, and Lions Head. Here we enjoyed a banquet of traditional foods such as wood BBQ'd mutton, kudu, and desserts. Of course, compliments of KWV, we had a case of red & white wine to enjoy with our meal.
So, who is this "we" I keep referring to? We are one of five couples from the US awarded a trip from KWV Wines in their annual sweepstakes. Kim & Dennis from New York, Andy & Cindy from Texas, and Gary from Colorado had his brother from London join us. One couple could not get passports in time and lost out. Interesting thing about Gary and his brother, Rodney, is that they are former South Africans who left following the apartheid years, and their perspectives on the changes since.
Attacking Baboons & Adorable Penguins
 Highlights of our next day touring the Cape of Good Hope are uniquely African. This peninsula is the point of meeting between the Indian & Atlantic Oceans and the turbulent mix leads to many storms, high winds, and shipwrecks. Much of the area is a national park with a very important lighthouse at the tip. (www.sanparks.org/parks/table_mountain)
Along the shore of False Bay, named by disappointed Spanish explorers who thought that they had turned the corner and were now headed up the east coast, we visited the preserve of the Jackass Penguins. The species is considered vulnerable and this breeding area has been put under protection. Due to the large numbers of people who visit, they seem to have no fear or even notice us walking the boardwalks. Unlike, the baboons that do notice and are very aggressive.
While the bus was stopped, we had a baboon troop walk by and Deb decided to get a photo and opened the window not an inch or two, but wide open. Within a split second, the lead baboon launched himself at her window as we all leaped to slam it shut. Sorry, photo only shows a blurred window frame and not the two inch long front teeth.
At the park restaurant, a solo baboon haunts the diners by raiding the patio. During our lunch, twice he ran into the patio and stole food from diners plates. Waiters armed only with brooms tried to chase him out. It seems this baboon's days are numbered as these lone baboons get ever bolder and eventually have to be shot. They start out begging and tragically progress to raiding. With their size, speed and strength, they could easily severely harm someone who got in the way or reacted wrong.
Brandy & Charging Water Buffalo
When you grow too many wine grapes, what do you do? You make brandy! As the wineries grew and the wooden sailing ships had limited storage, the pot distillation of wine into brandy became a source of pride & trade for the Cape area. As we learned touring the KWV brandy distillery, which has the largest collection of operating copper distillation pots in the world, there is an incredible variety in brandies. And, some of the best in the world are produced here.
Brandy as we know it was discovered by accident of war. The main shipping port was blockaded by war and the excess wine that had been distilled and stored in French oak barrels was trapped for years in the dock warehouses. Some thirsty merchant tried the brown stained liquid once war was over and realized this brandy was smoother & tasted much better then the raw spirits traditionally sold.
 The copper pot stills are over one hundred years old and in many ways can not be replaced. If nothing else, the copper is over one inch thick! The brandy maker can not only vary the grape variety the source wine is made from but the key is aging of the liquid. Brandy makers can vary the type of wood (French oak gives a vanilla notes & American oak is spicy), the length of time "in the wood", and can blend various aged casks to create varied palates of flavors & aromas.
 Old brandy costs more not just due to the waiting time but because the "angels" visit the barrels and each year 9 liters disappear from each barrel. Scientists say it's evaporation but workers say its the angels. So in twenty years, half the original brandy has weeped away and the remainder has to cover all the expense.
Fortified with a tasting of 3, 5, 10, 15, year old brandy and a blend called Imoya we went in search of loins, cheetahs, elephants and other adventures. We spent two days at times both searching out (usually) and avoiding (2x charging water buffaloes) the wild game of Africa. Roughing (not!) at the Aquila Safari Camp (http://www.aquilasafari.com) we enjoyed twice a day safaris into bush.
 After the evening drive, we would retire to the lodge and enjoy a smorgasbord of fine salads, cheese, meats, and deserts. As usual, we enjoyed another fine wine from the KWV offerings. Once the last of the wines disappeared, we would move to the outdoor Cigar Bar and enjoy some fine KWV 10 year old brandy.
Alas, all good things end and we left Aquila to return to Cape Town. Our group separated at the airport and Deb & I set off to explore the Cape area in more detail and to meet some people who would like to see us return with a group of Vine Park Wine Trippers. Of course, all good stretches of beautiful weather end too and it turned cold & wet.
This is great for an arid area whose water supplies depend upon the collection of rain off of the mountains that surround much of the city. But for tired tourists, the idea of long drives in the rain driving on the "wrong" side of the road was too much. We passed on the rental car and taxied to our city hotel. We stayed at the Cape Heritage Hotel and we have never enjoyed the level of fun, friendly, and high energy customer service that we found there. We highly recommend it! http://www.capeheritage.co.za/
State of Beer
Well, you are in wine country. Get used to it and enjoy because while beer is available everywhere, it is large companies making simple German style lagers. South Africa is the home of SAB Miller, the giant world beer conglomerate. We did locate a few small independent breweries and visited one brew pub in the city.
The small breweries will have to await our return as they are some distance out of the city and would make a wonderful drive on a sunny day. Mitchels Brewery is in the tourist waterfront development in a wonderful old stone building. A few different beers on tap and we enjoyed sampling them out on the patio. But, indoor smoking makes the air blue in the bar and it was impossible to properly appreciate the flavors indoors.
Our favorite beer experience was again a study in contrasts. One block from Mitchels is an outpost of old Munich, a 10 barrel Paulaner brewery. Beautiful copper beckoned to me, and with a promise of "I just need one and then we can shop some more" I got Deb into a smoke free beer garden! Lederhosen and drindl wearing staff soon delivered a freshly brewed Maibock to my hand and a Helles to Deb.
 Shortly thereafter, the food menus in hand, we were debating the merits of Schweinshaxe and Bratwürste Nürnberger. Whenever I see goulash suppe on a menu, I have to try it. "Did I want it spicy hot or regular?" I was asked. Spicy! Now my advice is not to order Spicy! Goulash suppe unless you have a very large beer handy and I did not. Thank you Deb for sharing! Never before have I had sweat break out on my forehead from soup. (http://www.paulaner.co.za)
The beers were fresh, traditional, and very well made. The setting for the beer garden is the bustling harbor tourist area, and the prices reasonable. But I have to admit, that seeing traditional Bavarian clothing on the staff who are nearly all black was a startling contrast to Munich. Adding to the contrasts was the band setting up was not local musicians but an American blues band of all whites.
High Tech Wine Stores
 With lots of wines comes lots of competition to sell your wine. Deb & I explored a new twist in an old concept in wine marketing. Try it, you'll like it has always worked well for a good product and even better for a good product with alcohol as your resistance to spending weakens.
This a franchised store using automated bottle samplers, debit cards, and cozy coffee shop ambiance to sell wines. We spent a lovely afternoon trying a number of wines and reading there. The need to fly home stopped the purchasing bottles but we could see the effectiveness of the operation.
Upon arrival, you purchase or recharge your debit card for as much as you wish; we did 50 Rand which works out to about 8 dollars. Around the room are nine consoles that each house eight bottles. Fine Scotches in one and flights of related wines in the rest. Insert your debit card into a reader and then hold your wine glass under the dispenser of your bottle of choice. Purchase a "taster", a half glass, or a full glass; you can then try several wines of the same style, the same vineyard, or whatever just caught your eye.
Since it is all self directed and you can certainly stay for hours enjoying full glasses of wine, I'm not sure just how this would or could work under the alcohol laws of Minnesota or Wisconsin. But I still have 0.70 rand left on my card to use up...
Vine Park Wine Trip
 I don't know to be honest. The Cape area has everything a great trip would want. The people are friendly, the tourism infrastructure is well established, and the physical beauty of the area is already world famous. Yet the trip there is long and not cheap. Once there, the prices are attractive for lodging, wines, dining out, and even ostrich riding. No, we didn't do it this trip but I now know a guy who can set us up... if you are interested.
You tell me if this is the wine trip you want and when you want to go. Our current plans are to go to the Alsace region for a combination beer & wine trip in 2010. Should we go to SA in 2011? Just let Dan know. We are ready if you are. One more recommendation to share with you; if you are looking for a trip on your own, we had the pleasure of having ours arranged and led by Johann and Sandra Nothnagel of Kanabo Safaris. They do trips out into the real wild areas of not only South Africa but Botswana & the Kalahari in addition to trips to the Cape Area. Check out their website for some ideas and amazing photographs. http://www.kanabo-safaris.co.za/
More trip photos:
http://picasaweb.google.com/dan.justesen/SouthAfricaWineTrip
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