Weekend away

Weekend in Greyton - and glad to coincide with their famous and fantastic Saturday morning market. - and enjoyed the wedding with my Anglophilic and royalist mom.

Bountiful Garden

Tuesday we spent taking in the sights and tastes of Greyton - a leisurely two-hour drive if you stop at one one of the famous "farm stalls" like Houw Hoek or Dassiesfontein along the way, or one and a half if not. We started out with the most glorious wine-tasting at Lismore Estate Vineyards about 7 kms from the village of Greyton. This is a fairytale estate owned and run by the capable and utterly charming Samantha O'Keefe (centre) who hails from California and is the wine maker too. All has not been a bed of ro ... er ... cabernet though, and you can read about her early days here. After years of hard work and courageous decisions, it deserves its name Lismore which is Gaelic for 'bountiful garden".
Seated around a large table on the veranda of Samantha's beautiful home on the edge of the mountain, with views that sweep almost to the sea on the far distant horizon, we settled in for a morning of heavenly wine and fascinating conversation about the intricacies of making wine and cider in this youngest of the Cape's wine districts.

These cool climate vineyards are perfect for white wines like 2009 Lismore Sauvignon Blanc with its passion-flower and gooseberry notes on the palate and the gorgeous whole bunch basket pressed and barrel fermented 2008 Lismore Chardonnay with citrus and honey crisp acidity. My favourite white was the 2009 Lismore Viognier with its dried apricot flavour and the most amazing lingering citrus aftertaste. Here, where the vines are not irrigated and the harvest is not fiddled with to produce a taste that is exactly the same as the previous year's wine, each harvest produces a distinct wine that captures the essence of the season passed. Listening to Samantha's soft Californian accent, I could understand why wine journalists go so soppy and romantic about wine!

Anyway, the reds were next, and the 2006 Lismore "The Long Road" Red proved to be a delicious "easy drinking" shiraz (syrah) and Cab Sav blend(75/25). The 2006 Lismore Syrah was spectacular - its smooth and silky cherry and chocolate/tobacco and leather undertones nearly causing me to forget my resolve not to drink too much before the drive home.

But enough for now! Up in the hills of the Riviersonderend mountains you can just see Samantha's beautiful home. She used to make the wine in the cellars under the house, but space soon ran out, and she now makes it in Elgin.

Tea and scones

Yesterday I was in Greyton, and really, sometimes it is too pink and pretty to believe! But is was very hot. In search of shade, the Vanilla Cafe looked hopeful.

Jumble

J is for Jumble. Last Saturday I was in Greyton, and the Animal Welfare Society has a jumble sale every Saturday morning where they make up bundles of clothes - in categories like "children aged 5-6", or "men" - and sell them for R10 a bundle.

Click here for more ABC Wednesday jays.

Duck and Cherry Pies for lunch

The picuresque and peaceful village of Greyton, an hour and a half from Cape Town, is a popular weekend getaway for Capetonians. A visit to the Saturday morning farmers market is a highlight.

English supporters

Strictly speaking this is my blog for yesterday as I was away and out of internet reach in Greyton, which is a tiny village outside Cape Town. Many of the residents of Greyton are English and the anticipation for the England vs USA match was great! The whole village was out and about - braziers burned in front of all the pubs and restaurants that were overflowing with English supporters. This is Bella the spaniel - complete with earring - with my mom in their beautiful autumnal garden in Greyton.