Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Into the Wine Region

Stepping off the Bus
Glenwood Vineyards, Franschhoek, ZA
February 18, 2025

 Yesterday was highlighted by visits to two wine estates in the Franschhoek region. We spent one night at a hotel in Francschhoek, which was nice because after spending almost 3 hours on the bus to start the day, we only had a short ride to the Protea Hotel near the center of the thriving village of Franschhoek. Along the way we encountered stunning scenery and, of course good wines. 

Entering the Barrel Room
Glenwood Vinyards, Franschhoek, ZA
February 18, 2025

Glenwood Vineyards was our first stop. The bus ride up the narrow valley and across a very narrow bridge was something to remember. The vineyards sits off the beaten path, but is worth the time to find. We enjoyed a tour of the barrel room complete with a barrel tasting of Chardonnay which had been in the barrel 12 months and had about another 12 months to go. Glenwood calls themselves the Home of Chardonnay--and that seemed true. Following that, we sampled five wines including two Chardonnays. Both were solid Chardonnays. In addition, we tasted a Cabernet Sauvignon, a merlot, and a Shiraz.

View from the Veranda
Holden Manz Wine Estate
Franschhoek, ZA
February 18, 2025

Our next stop was at Holden Manz Wine Estate in Franschhoek. Here we enjoyed a three course wine lunch. We sat on a veranda with a magnificent view and a cooling breeze. It was a near perfect environment to enjoy fine wine and gourmet dining. During our time we were guided through the lunch and wine tasting by one of the owners, Big G, and enjoyed six wines including the 2023 Chenin Blanc, 2024 Rosè, 2021 Semillon, 2022 Chardonnay, 2018 Visionaire, and the 2020 Big G. The Rosé is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Cinsault. 

Pavlova
Holden 

The food was also something very special and I would be remiss for not mentioning something about the food. Well, the dessert, Pavlova. I had not had this dessert before and it was totally enjoyable.

Aside from the wineries, Chris and I have been enjoying the stunning mountains and valleys of the countryside. As we are bussed across the southwestern portion of South Africa, it seems that there is so much stunning landscape to enjoy that we just would like the opportunity to stop and spend time just looking at the scenery and enjoying a nice glass of wine. 

Today, we leave Franschhoek and head off for two wineries today and transitioning to a hotel in Reebeck Kasteel. Another fun day ahead!


-- Bob Doan, Franschhoek, South Africa

Tuesday, February 18, 2025

A Day at Sprintfontein Wine Estate

 I have never had a a wine experience like yesterday. 

African Queen
Stanford, South Africa
February 17, 2025

Chris and I spent the day totally involved with one wine estate from about 10 AM until 5 PM. Wow! What a day! We walked the vineyards, we tasted the wines, and we enjoyed a fully narrated four-hour wine lunch which included tasting 11 wines! Coupled with the wine we enjoyed on the boat, we sampled 12 South African wines yesterday.

Snake in the River
Sanford, South Africa
February 17, 2025

The day began with a boat and wine experience on the Klein River near Sanford, ZA. The boat ride was coupled with an introduction to the Springfontein Wine Estate. The trip down the river was enjoyable, I always enjoy being on a boat. The excitement was when a yellow and black snake swam across in front of the boat. No one knows what kind it was, but some speculated it was a spitting Cobra. The skipper of the boat reversed the engines to allow it a wide berth as it swam from one side of the river to the other. 

Johst and the Argon Pressurized Tank
Springfontein Estate, Sanford, ZA
February 17, 2025
After the journey to the winery along the river, where we saw a lot of wildlife including Egyptian Geese, ducks, and many other birds we arrived at the winery and began a day of wine education and tasting. 

The Spring
Springfontein Estate, Sanford, ZA
February 17, 2025

I cannot begin to say enough about Springfontein Wine Estate. They are an organic wine producer committed to biodiversity. The owner is working to expand knowledge of and interest in South African wines with the two principal varieties being the red Pinotage and the white Chanel.

Chris and I had the opportunity to learn about how the wines are produced, including a new pressurized intracellular fermentation process using tanks and argon gas. We also had the opportunity to walk the vineyards and see the spring which provides the estate with both water its name.  Sadly, we also viewed first hand the damage birds caused to the crop where about 40 percent of the potential harvest was lost. 

A Bunch of Chanel Grapes
Springfontein Estate, Sanford, ZA
February 17. 2025

After the orientation to the estate, we proceeded to a wine lunch, which lasted almost 4 hours and provided 11 selected wines paired with food. There were six courses and I sampled for the first time kudu (a type of antelope) along with gourmet prepared dishes that paired fantastically with the estate's wines.

While the food was gourmet, the wines were the stars of the afternoon. We enjoyed a selection of Chenin Blanc, Chanel, Pinotage, and blends which all were well crafted and paired perfectly. 

Wine Lunch
Springfontein Estate, Sanford, ZA
February 17, 2025

Through it all, the founder and owner of the estate provided the narrative of the wines and his vision for the future of not only his wines, but South African wines in general. 

When we were finally ready to depart, some almost seven hours after starting the day, I was excited about the future of South African wines and especially the varietal Chanel. 

What a great day of wine and education and gastronomic delight. Wow!

And to think, Chris and I are on this wine tour for another week!


-- Bob Doan, Hermanus, South Africa



Monday, February 17, 2025

Cape Town to Hermanus


 

Wines at Gabriëlskloof Wine Estate
Bot River, South Africa
February 16, 2025

We departed Cape Town yesterday morning to move out into the South African countryside and begin enjoying the wine focused portion of our trip.

Table Cloth on Table Mountain
Cape Town, South Africa
February 16, 2025
As we boarded the bus in Cape Town, we could see the table cloth was coming down Table Mountain creating a stunning scene as the cloud poured over the top of the mountain and descended until it evaporated. 


We bussed through the countryside traveling east into the wide-open spaces of South Africa and into the wine country. 

Our first stop of the day was Gabriëlskloof Wine Estate in Bot River. We enjoyed a selection of Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Shiraz wines for the tasting. We also enjoyed a lunch from the adjacent Farro Restaurant whilst sitting on the veranda out of the bright sun. We spent time with the owner and winemaker learning his particular thoughts about wines and winemaking while also gaining an understanding of South African wines. We enjoyed the wines and their interpretation as explained by the winemaker. 

Me and Chris Overlooking the Vineyards
Creation Wines, Hermanus, South Africa
February 16, 2025

Our second, and final, wine stop of the day was Creation Wines in Hermanus. They are not actually in the village of Hermanus, where our lodging is, but outside the town a short drive away. We met the owners and enjoyed learning their history and vision for the winery. We enjoyed a tasting in a very elegant tasting room where we enjoyed six wines: three Chardonnay and three Pinot Noir. The Reserve Pinot Noir was tasting very nicely. It being Sunday afternoon, the tasting room was very busy, but we were afforded a personalized experience. The wines were all tasting very nice and with a good price point. 

View from Hotel Pool
Hermanus, South Africa
February 16, 2025

From Creation, we bussed to our lodging at the Harbor House Hotel situated on the Atlantic Ocean waterfront in Hermanus. After accessing our room we headed out into the town to find dinner which we thoroughly enjoyed.  

Today, we will enjoy another wine estate and a boating expedition. Today also marks the one week point in our trip. It is hard to believe that we have been in South Africa almost a week. 


Programming Note: As I am traveling, I will not be publishing Monday Musings this week or next. I expect to resume Monday Musings on March 3rd. 


-- Bob Doan, Hermanus, South Africa

Sunday, February 16, 2025

Amazing South Africa

Our Tour Group 
Cape of Good Hope, South Africa
February 15, 2025

Today was devoted to seeing the sights of Southern South Africa. We headed for Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope. This was no ordinary bus tour. We stopped along the way to enjoy the animals that we saw. And there were many.

Looking at the Cape of Good Hope
Cape Point, South Africa
February 15, 2025

Of course, both Chris and I enjoyed the African animals that we saw for the first time ever in the wild. We were amazed. I did not get good images of them all because my iPhone camera is malfunctioning at maximum zoom, but were saw baboon, bontebok, eland, zebra, seals, and a wild ostrich. The really cool thing was that we slowed or stopped the bus so we could take pictures when each of these animals were sighted.

After arriving and enjoying the Cape of Good Hope we rode a funicular to the top of Cape Point where again, much like yesterday, we felt as if we were standing on the top of the world as we looked down upon the waters surrounding the Cape of Good Hope and imagined the distress of the sailors who were wrecked upon the treacherous rocks and shoals.. 



Kingklip on the Plate
Kalk Bay, South Africa
February 15, 2025

But wait, the day was not over. We continued to lunch at the Harbour House Restaurant in Kalk Bay, South Africa, where we enjoyed a gourmet meal and I enjoyed a fish named Kingklip for the first time. Wow, a great white fish maybe like a cod or a flounder. I, likely, will be enjoying more Kingklip on this trip. We completed lunch just before 4 PM and began the uneventful journey back to Cape Town for the evening. 

Today depart our Cape Town lodging as we begin the South African wine experience portion of the trip and both Chris and I are looking forward to enjoying every drop!


-- Bob Doan, Cape Town, South Africa


Saturday, February 15, 2025

To the Mountain and Beyond

Atop Table Mountain
Cape Town, South Africa
February 14, 2025

 Table Mountain dominates the Cape Town, South Africa, skyline. Since landing on Tuesday evening, the mountain has been almost always in our vision as well as in many of our pictures. Yesterday, with the assistance of a very popular cable car we conquered the mountain and stood, literally, on top of the world. The scene was breathtaking and much of our discussions with other travelers was spent comparing the vistas from Table Mountain to the Grand Canyon. The two are very similar in that pictures cannot capture the awesomeness of either scene. 

Bob and Chris On the Mountain
Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa
February 14, 2025

We enjoyed a delightful champagne lunch on the mountain and then took time to explore not only the view but the flora and fauna of the mountain top. It was fitting that we visited the mountain on Valentine's Day. What better way for lovers to enjoy doing something together?

The cable car ride itself was an interesting. Although it rises some 2200 feet to arrive at the top, the cable car slowly spins to allow the riders to experience the ascent from different views. I captured that in the video below.

Following a bus tour of Cape Town and some free time back at the hotel to refresh, we headed off to a sundowner celebration hosted by a very nice couple who own a home right along the beach. The celebration was grand, although the sun made an early exit because of a cloud bank to the west. We were able to meet the other travelers in our group and kick off the wine tour. The evening was a total success and we experienced a different cuisine: Cape Malay, which we throughly enjoyed. The wine was flowing and provided an excellent accompaniment to the food. 







-- Bob Doan, Cape Town, South Africa

 

Friday, February 14, 2025

Stellenbosch

Chris making a good chip shot
Ernie Els Winery, Stellenbosch, ZA
February 13, 2025

Happy Valentine's Day 


Yesterday was devoted to visiting three world class wineries in the Stellenbosch region of South Africa. The area was a short one-hour drive from our lodging and we hired an experienced driver and vehicle to get us efficiently and safely to and from the region. 

It was another beautiful day and the ride to Stellenbosch was enjoyable. We were able to see multiple sides of South Africa including an extremely large shanty town and their version of Hollywood. The wineries we visited were at the foot of a large mountain and all three confessed that the hot weather means that they grow and bottle mostly red wines. Collectively, the three wineries only sported five white wines, with the remainder being very exciting reds. 

The first winery visited was Ernie Els. We were able to try our hand at a chip shot and visit a magnificent trophy room in addition to enjoying 9 wines. 

Vehicle for the Vineyard Safari
Waterford Estates, Stellenbosch, ZA
February 14, 2025


The next winery was Waterford Estates where they offer a vineyard safari ride. We did not take the safari, but chose to enjoy another setting of 9 wines. Included in our tasting were three vertical tastings where we compared current releases to either 2014 or 2015 wines.

Tokara Wine Estate
Stellenbosch, ZA
February 13, 2025

We enjoyed lunch at Tokara Wine Estate and sat in an amazing glass enclosed porch overlooking the vineyards. The winery facility sits at the base of a hill and has stunning views of the valley and adjacent vineyards. We did not do a tasting, but enjoyed a nicely plated lunch.

I, of course, enjoyed a nice glass of wine at lunch. 

Our final vineyard was a short drive away from our lunch stop. 

We arrived at Oldenburg Vineyards to enjoy another excellent tasting. Even though it was late in the day, we were able to discern the layers, flavors, and aromatics of the wines. 

We had an exciting day returning to our lodging about 6:30 PM. 


-- Bob Doan, Cape Town, South Africa

Thursday, February 13, 2025

Cape Town - The Waterfront

 

Chris and the Elephant
Cape Town, South Africa
February 12, 2025

We spent the afternoon exploring the Cape Town waterfront. Chris had her first encounter with the local animals. No, not the elephant she is pictured with, but harbor seals that were playing in the water. We enjoyed watching the seals for a while before continuing our stroll along the diverse and touristy waterfront area. 

Harbor Seal
Cape Town, South Africa
February 12, 2025

We began the day late, as we were coping with the seven hour time change. Our lodging is close to the waterfront and Uber drivers provided excellent service at very reasonable rates both going and returning from the area. 

Ferris Wheel on the Waterfront
Cape Town, South Africa
February 12, 2025

We ate lunch at Belthazar Restaurant & Wine Bar; advertised as the world's largest by the glass wine bar and restaurant--right along the harbor. They have a magnificent facility and we enjoyed excellent service, a great meal and, of course, wine.

Dinner was at an Italian restaurant a short walk from our lodging. Villa 47 provided excellent service. Even though they advertised reservations were required, we were able to get a table on a Wednesday evening without waiting. The restaurant also provided excellent service, tasty food, and a diverse wine menu. 

Even with the late start, we had a full day of activity finally returning about 9 PM to rest and prepare for today's wine exploration adventure. Tomorrow we depart our lodging and join up with the tour group to begin the scheduled portion of our trip. 


-- Bob Doan, Cape Town, South Africa

Tuesday, February 11, 2025

First Morning in South Africa

View from the Rooftop
Cape Town, South Africa
February 12, 2025

The view from our VRBO is stunning. I am out on the rooftop veranda enjoying transition from night to day as the sun rises behind Cape Town. The sky is clear with a bit of haze as the city comes to life on this Wednesday morning, which is my first in South Africa. 


The day dawns a cool but comfortable 63 degrees and I can see part of the port through the buildings off to the left. We are near the waterfront. The rugged mountains to the east provide the perfect silhouette for the day's dawn. We have nothing planned for today. It is a recovery day from our travel. I slept last night, but was awake a lot as my body fought sleep and reminded me that where I was is not where I am. Chris and I were both awake about 4 AM and we looked out the window at the slumbering city. We have one of the best views ever out the hotel window. OK, technically it is not a hotel, but we are staying here on a trip so it loosely fits the category.

When we landed yesterday, Chris and I were on the wrong side of the jet to be able to sightsee the city and so I settled for enjoying the taxi ride to our lodging. 

Table Mountain, to the south, is illuminated during the early evening hours. I noted, however, that it was not illuminated when we were standing at the window about 4 AM. It is quite a sight at night and a great landmark. Being summer here, we have over 13 hours of sunlight to enjoy. A distinct change from the winter illumination of the northern hemisphere. Cape Town is a little closer to the equator than Baltimore, but not as close as Tequesta.

Adventure is ahead and it is time to get the day started. 


-- Bob Doan, Cape Town, South Africa

Arriving in South Africa

Our Trusty Air Ship an A350
Cape Town, South Africa
February, 11, 2025

 Chris and I made the trip. I all went smoothly, thankfully. The flight to Atlanta and then the flight to Cape Town happened almost completely as scheduled. 

The 14h 50m flight was smooth and, as reported to me by Chris, I slept most of the way. She, however, did not. As a result, it is 10:30 PM here which, due to the 7 hour time difference, makes it 3:30 PM back in Florida and the U.S. East Coast. I am awake--but Chris is heading to bed. 

Africa out the Cabin Window
Over the Atlantic Ocean
February 11, 2025

The first sighting of the African Coast was exciting. And then later as we neared landing the sight of Cape Town amazed us. It is a big sprawling city. Much bigger than I imagined.

And then the city came into view along with Table Mountain and the scene was a bit surreal as it was sunset even though my body was screaming sunrise. We took off about 9:30 PM and landed at 7:09 PM. We effectively lost a day. 

Table Mountain at Sunset
Cape Town, South Africa (ZA)
February 11, 2025

Table Mountain is the most significant land feature in the area. I snapped a quick image from, the speeding taxi transporting us from the airport to the VRBO in which we are staying.

We made it safely to the VRBO and met up with our traveling partners who arrived a few hours earlier. Now--it is bed time and we are looking forward to the adventure as it begins. 


-- Bob Doan, Cape Town, ZA

Monday, February 10, 2025

Monday Musings - February 10, 2025

 


1. Welcome to the second Monday of February. It is also the Monday after the Super Bowl--which wasn't all that super. There are 46 remaining Mondays in the year 2025!

2. Yawn, such was the Super Bowl. Apparently the Chiefs stayed in their hotel for the game. The final score of 40-22 Eagles over the Chiefs, was much closer than the game actually was. For a while, I thought we were preparing for the first shutout in Super Bowl history. I guess I won't be seeing the Chiefs players in so many commercials now. As for the halftime show, I am not the demographic to which the show was designed to please. 

Limestone Creek Trail
Jupiter, FL
February 8, 2025

3. While shopping for our Super Bowl party, I ran across the strangest sale. It was buy 2 and get 3 free on 12 packs of Pepsi products! Wow! When it was all done I was able to by Pepsi for pre-pandemic pricing. It worked out to $4.12 per 12-pack. WooHoo! I still can't believe it--but it happened! However, I got gouged for the potato chips.

4. I enjoyed a 19-mile plus bike ride on Saturday. I rode a circuit that I infrequently use. I like it because I have added in a short trail that takes me through a forested area and provides a nice change of pace from riding on the streets. It is a short, but pretty ride and in some ways reminds me of the ride I took with Patrick and Jeremy last summer as we completed the GAP. 

4. Save your pennies! Production of the, in my opinion, most useless coin in the world, is about to stop. 

5. Today in History. On February 10, 1996, after three hours, world chess champion Garry Kasparov loses the first game of a six-game match against Deep Blue, an IBM computer capable of evaluating 200 million moves per second. Man was ultimately victorious over machine, however, as Kasparov bested Deep Blue in the match with three wins and two ties and took home the $400,000 prize. An estimated 6 million people worldwide followed the action online.

Kasparov had previously defeated Deep Thought, the prototype for Deep Blue developed by IBM researchers in 1989, but he and other chess grandmasters had, on occasion, lost to computers in games that lasted an hour or less. The February 1996 contest was significant in that it represented the first time a human and a computer had duked it out in a regulation, six-game match, in which each player had two hours to make 40 moves, two hours to finish the next 20 moves and then another 60 minutes to wrap up the game.



Trump set to announce 25% tariff on steel and aluminum - CNN

Trump instructs Treasury to halt penny production - CNN

Exclusive: U.S. funding freeze threatens investigations of alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine - Reuters

The stark divide that South Africa's land act seeks to bridge - Reuters

Australia says its steel, aluminium exports create American jobs - Reuters

trump-proposed-land-grabs-mean-us-now-seen-as-a-risk-munich-security-report - The Guardian

trump-electric-vehicle-charging-station-program - The Guardian

Farmers on the hook for millions after Trump freezes USDA funds - The Washington Post



-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

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