Friday, June 29, 2012

Bot River Ramble



After several days of gale force wind and torrential rains, Saturday dawned sunny and crystal clear.  On these heaven-sent days in mid winter we make it a rule to get out the house and go on photography or winetasting trips and here was the opportunity to do both.  We're spoilt for choice when it comes to wine farms here on the Overberg region but up to now we haven't explored the Bot River wine route.  When you think about wine tasting the Stellenbosch, Franschoek and Paarl wine routes come to mind but this time we wanted to visit somewhere a little off the beaten track and the Overberg region with its meandering hills of green winter wheat, the changing colors of the vineyards and white washed farms called to us.




On the way to the village of Bot River we had to stop to capture pix of the green and gold landscapes all  round us while wandering down a pretty farm road lined with bright yellow flowers.  I was so happy to have my daughter spending the weekend with us.  As well as being exceptionally good company and a fine cook, she's a knowledgeable and enthusiastic wine connoisseur and photographer.




Beaumont is family-run farm and winery just inside Bot River.  The farm dates back to the 1700s when it was an outpost of the Dutch East India company and a stopover for early travellers to water and rest their horses and oxen. Provisions for the next leg of the journey would be purchased from local farmers and the Khoisan inhabitants 





A canine escort waits in the parking area.




In the cool rustic cellar we met the young winemaker, Sebastian Beaumont, who explained the philosophy behind their handcrafted and classically styled ranges.  We left with a case or two of Raoul Shiraz Rose (my favorite) and several bottles from their Beaumont range, including a special bottle of Vetruvian Red.




After tasting and ordering we had time to walk around the sun dappled vineyards, enjoying the play of light through the golden oak and grapevine leaves.







An interactive metal heart shaped mobile dangles between the eucapyptus trees.







Next time, Gabrielskloof Winery ...



2 comments:

Karen said... [Reply to comment]

You know, you could take the whole vineyard and put it down in Napa Valley, California, and no one would be the wiser. The land, the vines, the trees - all California. Now the buildings, not so much, but maybe it could be the start of a new architectural trend.

AndiP said... [Reply to comment]

Love this post...what a special day it was :)

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