Wine Tasting - South Africa Style

On the second day in Cape Town I went on a wine tour which was excellent!

At 9 o'clock in the morning I was picked up at the hostel along with several other people and then we went straight to our first tasting (oh I had A jagermeister at the backpackers before I went just to put me in the mood).

At around 10am we arrived at our first vineyard and were given the tour of the place including how wine both red and white is made. we then had our first tastings - about 6 in total.

We all made the usual gestures about taste and bouquet but to be honest nobody knew anything. Some people did throwout some of the wines they did not particularly care for into a spitoon - I just thought that was sacrelige!

At 12ish we arrived at our second place which appartently is owned by an ex springboks rugby star and we had our lunch of a very nice lamb burger while our guide explained about pinotage wines and blended wines.

After lunch it was onto our third place for more tasting which included some port and brandy tasting. We were shown the correct way to hold and taste brandy. I hate brandy and no matter which way I tasted it it still burnt the gob off me! They did, however have a very nice port which the group decided to purchase enmass (we wanted to try to get a discount but they woundn't haggle with us drunks)

The last place we went to was the best - because it made its own goat cheese and although you were only supposed to have 6 tastings you could get away with more. The set up was to get a wine then go round the corner and get some cheese. Of course we all though in our state that when we came back from the cheese that the waiters would have forgotten who we were and we would be able to start off a fresh - I mean we had forgotten!

I ended up buying 3 bottles of wine to go with my port (it was a bargain!) before we headed back to Cape Town.

As it was national Braai day once I got back I got out my previously purchased steaks and burnt them on the Hostels Braai.

I then went across the road to MAMA AFRICA to meet up with all the alchos from the wine tasting and continue our boozing. There was a very good african band on using drums and xylophones

I did have the sense to go home at a decent time as I had another tour in the morning. The wine tasting was nothing like what I expected - thank God!