Stellenbosch is a University Town in the middle of wine country. We booked a "Vinehopper Trip"
which is a hop on hop off tour to 6 different wineries. We were joined by a young couple from Germany.
One of the wineries we visited, Beyerskloof, which specialized in Pinotage. We learned that Pinotage is not a blend, but is a cross with Pinot and Hermitage grapes. It was introduced in South Africa because the Pinot Noir grapes could not grow in the summer heat which can reach temperatures as high as 52-56C. Pinot Noir grape crossed with the hearty Hermitage grape created a grape that could survive the heat. Pinotage has become a signature wine for South Africa.
Our favourite winery was Simonsig. The name was familiar to us as it was one of the champagnes that we drank on my birthday. We both enjoyed tasting their selection of champagnes so much that they kept offering us extra tastings. One of the "things" they do for a group is to open a bottle of champagne with a sword. Normally they need a group of 10 before they do this, but they liked the story of our trip, so decided to do it with a smaller group.
One of the trainees tried it but didn't make a clean cut the first time, so tried a second time and was successful. And yes...... It was another "extra tasting". Thankfully, we only had time for one more winery. By the end of the tour, we had only visited 4/6 wineries were both feeling plenty happy with the day.
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