Steenberg, South Africa (March 2020)
The Steenberg Wine Estate in Constantia, just 30 mins outside of Cape Town.
The beautiful Steenberg estate, situated in Constantia has a vineyard, golf course, hotel and not to mention the most beautiful tasting rooms and restaurant . It’s a gorgeous setting for a Saturday afternoon get together and wonderful wine.
They produce a number of reds and whites, but they are extremely well known for their gorgeous bubbles.
I went for the bubbly tasting, in which we had 4 different sparkling wines to try, including a sparkling Sauvignon blanc, which I’ve never had before. This was priced at R150 - equivalent to around £7.50.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, South African bubbles, made in the traditional method (same as champagne) are just exceptional and just STUNNING.
The hospitality was incredible and it was the best way to spend an afternoon in the sun.
Welcombe Hills Vineyard, UK (July 2020)
Suited just outside Stratford-Upon-Avon, Welcombe Hills is a perfect visit for those wanting to explore vineyards in the Midlands.
Welcombe Hills vineyard is the smallest commercial vineyard in the UK and was planted in 2001 as a "hobby vineyard" and since then has grown over time. They grow 9 grape varieties in total from a small 2.5 acres of vines; including, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Bacchus, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir Précoce.
Despite the weather, we were kept in high spirits and given a super informative tour of the small vineyard site, before settling down at our tables under umbrellas to try 4 of their wines.
Generous pours of all the wines that we tried.
"Ophelia" - Sparkling (50% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay and 20% Auxerrois)
"Twelfth Night" - Bacchus/ Sauvignon Blanc (80% Bacchus and 20% Sauvignon Blanc)
"The Tempest" - Bacchus (100% Bacchus)
"A Rose by any other Name" - Rosé (Pinot Précoce and Dornfelder)
My personal favourite was the Ophelia, which we described as creamy, and even a bit of a hint of Mr Whippy icecream.
