05 May |
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 But behind the blur of pear and apple orchards in the Elgin Valley there is – I recently discovered – a wonderful eco-tourism destination waiting to be explored. Ignore the N2 and forget the Overberg… one of the Cape’s best weekend escapes waits just over them thar hills If you’re planning a visit to the Elgin Valley you’ve likely got a busy few days ahead, so you’ll need to stock up. The bakery at the Peregrine Farm Stall is legendary, and you’ll be hard-pressed not to leave with a basket of fresh ‘Ouma Brood’, a cheesy quiche, milk tart and a bagful of syrupy koeksisters. It’s a great place to fill a picnic hamper and grab a bottle of freshly squeezed apple juice or bottle of local wine. The Houw Hoek Farm Stall, another 12-kilometres or so down the N2, is another tried and trusted option with an excellent bakery. Their sausage rolls and Millionaire’s Shortbread bring road-trippers from far and wide. You can also cast a line into the well-stocked trout dams up on the hill. Either pop your catch in a cooler-bag or ask the restaurant to throw it in the pan. Well-stocked and ready for the day ahead the Valley is your proverbial oyster. Start off at a leisurely pace with some twitching at Elgin Vintners, off the Viljoenshoop Road. The farm dam is home to dozens of bird varieties, including a good selection of fynbos endemics, and a small jetty allows you a rare chance to get up close to a nest of Black Headed Herons. If that’s a little sedate, the mountain bike trails on offer at Oak Valley should get your pulse racing. The farm offers three well-marked routes: a 14 kilometre Green Route suitable for all skill levels; a 21 kilometre Red Route for stronger riders; and the 25 kilometre Black Route for complete nutters. Laid out by Oak Valley wine-maker (and avid cyclist) Pieter Visser, the trails are mostly single-track which wind through forests, fields and fynbos. Hot showers are available at the start/finish, and there are shady lawns to relax under and rest those tired limbs. Fruits of the vine You can also quench your thirst with Visser’s wines at the nearby tasting room. With its cool climate and slow-ripening vineyards Elgin is rapidly making a name for itself in producing some of South Africa’s top wines. “Elgin is the best place to grow vineyards in South Africa,” enthuses Paul Wallace, viticulturist and one of the shareholders at nearby Elgin Vintners. “The slower your ripening the better it is for what ends up inside the bottle,” and their Rhône-style Shiraz and barrel-fermented Viognier are certainly proof that South African wines don’t have to be all about big fruit and high alcohol. A short way down the N2, Paul Cluver Wines is credited with proving you can grow great grapes in a valley famous for its apple and pear orchards. Cluver’s Pinot Noir is among the best in South Africa, but the estate also makes great Weisser Riesling, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. In all, there are over 20 wine labels in the Elgin Valley, up from just a handful five years ago, with estates like Iona, Highlands Road and South Hill also worth a visit. Stop for a bite South Hill is especially worth stopping in at around lunchtime. If you haven’t packed a picnic chef Gordon Manuel will be only too happy to whip up something for you at the estate’s restaurant; The Venue. A veteran of boutique hotels, Manuel’s skill in the kitchen brings a touch of class to hearty country cooking. The menu changes weekly, but expect crispy duck, seared salmon and meltingly good risotto. Original South African artworks adorn the walls of this old apple shed, with sliding doors to let the vineyard and orchard views wash in. A lazy lunch can easily extend into late afternoon, and with the sun dipping behind the Hottentots Holland Mountains we find ourselves pushing open the door into a secret garden. Wildekrans Country House. The manor house was built in 1811 along the traditional wagon route into the interior, but the farm dates back to the previous century when the stream that flows through the property served as a watering hole for oxen about to attempt the then-treacherous Houw Hoek Pass. And the sense of history is palpable at Wildekrans, from the low doorways and creaky floors to thick mud walls. Sturdy walls that are today laden with some of South Africa’s finest artists; the likes of Deborah Bell, Guy Du Toit, Llewellyn Davies and William Kentridge. “We try and buy at least one piece of art per year,” says Alison Green, who runs Wildekrans with her architect husband, as we wander out into their five-hectare garden. “We like the contrast between the historic homestead and modern South African art, so the artworks are both in the house and scattered in the garden.”  And a fine setting for fine art it is too. Ordered and carefully planted near the house, the garden becomes wilder as it scampers up towards the fynbos-clad mountains that are emerald green and lush thanks to early winter rains. A rambling rose garden wafts delicate scents towards a flock of inanimate sheep (courtesy of sculptor Wilma Cruise), and the stream gurgles its way past an orchard of olive and pear trees. Alison is justifiably proud of her art collection, but the garden – along with the cosy guesthouse, of course – is the real highlight of Wildekrans. Benches wait patiently for someone to arrive with a favourite book, deckchairs have ‘snooze in the sun’ written all over them and a sparkling pool invites on hot summer days. Down the garden path Wildekrans isn’t the only property in Elgin with lovely gardens, and happily the keen gardeners of the Valley are happy to share them with the rest of us. The Elgin Open Gardens is an annual event held each October allowing the public to admire and enjoy a range of private gardens strung out across the Valley. Last year over two-dozen green-thumbed residents opened their lawns and flowerbeds to willing feet and enthusiastic noses. And yes, finding time to stop and smell the roses is compulsory! With the dew falling on a chilly spring evening, it’s the fireplace in the lounge that draws us indoors though, along with the promise of a glass of wine from the local vineyards. Wildekrans by name perhaps, but it’s certainly not wild by nature. The mountains above are rugged, for sure, but there’s more than a touch of fine living on offer at this delightful guesthouse. Lots to see and do, great food, outstanding wine… there’s little you won’t enjoy about a weekend away in this corner of the Cape. For more information:
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