When it comes to dramatic scenery, the Cape wine farms are in a league of their own. There are few restaurants which can compete with the setting of the restaurant at the Delaire Graff estate. Perched on top of the Helshoogte mountain pass, we sit in the cool shade of magnificent oak trees, listening to the sound of birdsong and running water, as we gaze out over the Simonsig and Groot Drakenstein mountains and down into the Franschhoek valley.
It's sheer bliss. To be embraced by the sheer luxury of this elegant, beautiful crafted estate, sipping on fabulous wine and indulging in the tastiest food around, is what dream holidays are made off.
The town of Franschhoek is charming. Wandering the streets with the atmospheric shops and sampling the great food and wine on offer is a must for any visitor's itinerary. The area was settled in by French Huguenots in the late 17th century and so there is a mix of French and Dutch influences in the area, which makes for a good variety of tastes and experiences.
I think I have had more wine in the last couple of days than I have ever had in my life but it's been interesting and delicious, so I am not complaining. At Spier, one of South Africa's oldest, biggest and most tourist friendly estates, our tastemaster, Tyson, gives us an exceptional tasting tour through the estate's award-winning wines. Such quality, at affordable prices, it is no wonder South African wines are faring so well worldwide.
Probably the biggest and most unusual surprise of the trip is my encounter with Hemingway, a magnificent cheetah which is being raised at Spier as part of a conservation effort and to educate visitors about the plight of cheetahs in the wild. At the start of the 20th century, there were 100,000 cheetahs in the wild. Today there are 7,500, with South Africa home to less than 1,000. Cheetahs require huge areas of land, and with ever expanding human settlement their habitat is becoming smaller and smaller. I have only ever encountered cheetahs in a zoo so stroking this wild and graceful animal is another thing to add to the list of firsts I have ticked off in South Africa.
Our tale of breathtaking scenery, delicious food, and good company continues as we round off our trip to the Cape at the Warwick estate with a gourmet picnic among the estate's mountain vineyards. Our picnic basket is filled to the brim with delicious salads, cold meats, bread, smoked salmon and sweet treats, a far cry from the picnics I am used to, which don't usually amount to much more than a couple of sandwiches. It introduces us to more South African culinary treats, from snoek pate to biltong.
Picnics like braais, are a way of life here, not surprising given the good weather. Cape Town's Kirstenbosch gardens have recently been named by National Geographic as one of the top 10 places in the world to have a picnic, so I will be sure to put that on my to-do list next time round.
The last few days have been happy, happy days, thanks in no small part to the people of South Africa who have been so open and friendly and made us feel so welcome. It is the people of a country who can really make an experience memorable. They are so proud of their country and it is this enthusiasm and South Africa's sheer beauty that I will take away with me.
