South African Wines

We're on our way to wine country which is just north of Cape Town. It took about 45 minutes to drive out of the city and into farms and vineyards which bank against the Dragonstein Mountains. On the way we stopped into the oldest Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa. The KWV winery was in the town of Paarl. This was a huge complex. They showed us their underground concrete tanks, which were used before the stainless steel vats. We tasted about 7 different wines incluing a Pinotge, a bright purple wine with a unique flavor. Then we spent a little time in Franschhock, the french corner, a delightful town with more dutch architecture. On our way to Steelenbosch we stopped into a small winery which primarily made wine blends. There rose' was judged best in South Africa this year and tasted so. In Stellenbosch we had a nice lunch in the 1802 restaurant and then explored the town and did a little shopping.

KWV Wine Gallery

On our way back, we passed a lot of townships. Here you find a lot of 2 bedroom homes which were built for the blacks, and lots of shanties primarily made of bricks and tin. A mix of dirt poor and those doing better.

We had a home dinner with Edgar and Mollie, a colored family (mix of Indian and white) with 3 grown kids. Edgar is a school and tour bus driver, Mollie a cook for the nursery school. Edgar explained that there life hasn't changed much - whites used to control things, now blacks do. And their form of affirmative action favors the blacks getting job over coloreds. They are fearful of the new ANC leader who may become president next year - a common thug (which we've heard from others). Yet they were also hopeful of the mayor of Cape Town, a white woman who is color blind and gets things done.