The breathtaking landscape of the Western Cape Winelands in South Africa

By Cindy Lou-Dale
Senior Writer

Most first-time visitors to South Africa seek out the world-acclaimed tourism hot spots, taking the cable car up Table Mountain; even visiting Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was once imprisoned. What I want to do is lose the checklist, go off-grid, look deeper, and get to know the rural Cape.

Gnarled old oaks and the curve of Cape Dutch gables is what l see in picture-perfect Church Street, encapsulating, in one street, the spirit in the country’s largest concentration of Cape Dutch, Edwardian, and Victorian heritage homes – each one a national monument.

Following a crushing earthquake in 1969, which all but flattened the town, every house on this historic street has been restored.

I parked outside the Tourism Office (No 4) and pop in for a map of Church Street and have a quick look at their permanent exhibition commemorating the earthquake.

Artist Christo Coetzee

No 14 is an orange Victorian house belonging to the late famed artist Christo Coetzee, which houses a permanent exhibition of his work. No 12 once belonged to the Church ‘reader’ who’d recite bible passages to the sick.

Its current owner, international fusion food Chef Carol Collins, commemorated its history by naming her kitchen Reader’s Restaurant. No 22 – built in 1803, was originally the postmaster’s house, now it’s the Pioneer House Museum. The street would not be complete without a string of high-end guest houses named Cape Dutch Quarters, each one more traditional than the next.

Wine, a massively important industry for the region, has been produced here for centuries. Numerous wine estates dotted around Tulbagh’s outskirts are part of the Tulbagh Wine Route.

A few minutes drive out of town is the Saronsberg Wine Estate the location is such that I need to stop to take it all in. Through the wrought iron gates, the long driveway takes me through a manicured, art-festooned garden, flanked on either side by vineyards.

The contemporary khaki-colored cellar building, with a spacious and beautifully finished tasting room, is surrounded by cutting-edge sculptures, and canvas art in the gallery and exhibition room.

At lunch in nearby Rijks Wine Estate, my host GM Heidi Truter speaks of when the estate’s restaurant chef resigned and explains that she didn’t replace him. Instead, she empowered the women that work in the kitchen, giving them ownership in creating authentic Cape cuisine menus, prepping, and cooking the food.

“And it’s paid off in at least a dozen ways. Not everything about cooking can be learned in culinary school,” says Heidi.

Sampling the milk tart in South Africa

“My ladies have made the restaurant’s first-ever milk tart. It’s not on the menu yet as it needs management’s okay. They ask if you’d like to sample a little piece.”

Think custard pie but better. Much better. It’s delicate, creamy, and light, with a sweet flaky pastry crust and a vanilla milk filling. Whilst on the cooling rack, it’s liberally dusted with cinnamon and a scraping of nutmeg.

In case I got hungry, I was gift-boxed a large wedge of it for a snack whilst on the road.

At Krone (Twee Jonge Gezellen), a 300-year-old wine estate known the world over for its Méthode Cap Classique wines, I learn they regularly host an artist in residence, exhibiting their work in one of the beautifully renovated estate buildings.

The program is a platform for the artist-in-residence to take risks and create ambitious works and installations, without the pressure of a commercial outcome. A place of total freedom for artists to explore their ideas.

Back in town, I’m at Made In Tulbagh, a uniquely curated concept store featuring hand-made designs and crafts of around 40 local artisans. Gail Schulschenk displays everything from hand-made fine jewelry, to repurposed materials turned into clothing, driftwood sculptures, and soaps made from coffee grind, plus an endless supply of pickles, olive oils, coffee, biscuits, quiches, and pecan pie.

There was so much there I didn’t know I needed!

Stay at Tulbagh Boutique Heritage Hotel I’m folding down for the night at the Tulbagh Boutique Heritage Hotel, a restored Cape Dutch-styled property with 14 bespoke rooms, each filled with priceless antiques. Their pretty Olive Terrace Bistro is superb, the bath deep, and the bed inviting.

Breakfast Many of the breakfast plates being served at Kole en Deeg (Coals and Dough), bore traditional roosterkoek (roasted cake), some served with cheese and jam, others with streaky bacon and soft scrambled egg. When I compliment owner, Etienne Abrahams, it is no surprise to hear him speak about what a believer he is in quality, consistency, and service.

Tea-pairing and a Mountain Lodge in Citrusdal

An hour’s drive from Tulbagh, on the winding Piekenierskloof Pass, with its panoramic views across the Olifants River Valley, is De Tol, a roadside deli near Citrusdal.

I’m at Carmién, the tea shop that adjoins the deli. Like most buildings in these rustic parts of the Cape, it’s a beautifully restored (1864) stable, complete with repurposed troughs, concrete floors, and wooden beams.

The shop is a celebration of Rooibos tea, tea ware, tea gifts, and even tea activewear.

“Tea pairing,” says my host, Janine Jantjies, “is an exciting new way to enjoy our tea. Let me show you what we’ve paired with our various flavors of Rooibos tea.”

Whilst sitting under a majestic oak, Janine delivers the ‘Rooibos Experience’ starting with Rooibos Turkish Delight (paired with a nougat square), Tropical Burst (and vanilla fudge), Orange Chamomile (lemon and raspberry caramallow).

Then my favorite of all – the Masala Chai mix that ticked all my taste boxes – rooibos, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric, cloves, and black pepper. I declined the accompaniment, opting instead for two further cups. Fearful of overstaying my welcome, I reluctantly moved on.

A few hundred meters away, at the top of the Piekenierskloof Pass, is the modern 22-bed Piekenierskloof Mountain Resort.

Following a leisurely lunch, I had a look around and decided that what I’d choose above their hotel accommodation is one of their (16) gorgeous self-catering bungalows, which sits a little higher up the mountain above the main complex, with even larger vistas.

Clanwilliam is the world’s Rooibos capital, producing 4 billion Rooibos tea bags annually.

Over the Cederberg Mountain, in the Olifants River valley, is the town of Clanwilliam (circa 1660).

It’s just off the highway that runs from Cape Town to Namibia and is in the region known the world over for its phenomenal Namaqualand spring wildflowers.

From July to September the semi-desert landscape is transformed into a riot of color, which cloaks the hills and valleys in shocks of purple, orange, pink, and yellow – flowers found nowhere else in the world.

At Rooibos Limited, I met Amor Venter who guides me through the Rooibos tea story, from planting seeds to pouring a cup.

Native to the Western Cape, Rooibos tea is truly a South African staple, loved around the world.

Amor grabs my attention with the word Espresso: “Our fine ground Rooibos Espresso powder delivers a concentrated dose of rooibos tea, which is naturally caffeine-free and loaded with antioxidants.”

“Our espresso capsules hold ten times the antioxidants of traditionally brewed rooibos and five times the antioxidants of green tea. This is a coffee alternative and a drink that merges well with the ever-so-chic café lifestyle.”

At Rooibos Espresso

“We know that slow and natural growth at the highest altitude develops our sweeter, bolder, rich-tasting tea. We follow sustainable, organic practices and don’t use herbicides, pesticides, or irrigation.

Our primary farm has been awarded the highest biodiversity rating for farming as close to nature as possible.”

I stopped paying attention when introducing a Rooibos espresso to my lips and at once knew I must fill the trunk of my car with them for my own Espresso machine.

African bush shoes that’ll no doubt, outlive me.

In an adjoining street is Strassberger Shoes, one of South Africa’s famous ‘veldskoen’ shoe brands, I’m introduced to JJ du Plessis.

The South African branch of JJ’s family tree dates to the early 1800s, in Wupperthal, when cobbler/German Rhenish missionary Johan Gottlieb Leipoldt (grandfather of poet C Louis Leipoldt) started a small leather tannery.

Soon another German cobbler, Konrad Buttner joined. This was when the original veldskoen was born. In 1904 Reverend Willy Strassberger arrived from Germany to assist in Wupperthal where he created a shoe factory.

Years later, he moved the business to Clanwilliam for ease of transportation. It’s been a family business ever since and employs 47 locals, who daily handmake 250 pairs of ‘vellies’ in their small factory.

Along with my stash of Rooibos espresso tea capsules, three pairs of vellies are returning to Italy with me.

The main house is constructed from local stone and the eleven rooms – most of them separate from the main building and opening onto the veld – are understated but spacious and sumptuous, with outdoor showers, and baths with a view. I’m in a suite that has a private terrace overlooking the indigenous garden, which merges with the untamed bush and rugged mountain. After dinner each evening, I’d sit at the firepit and star-gaze with a few of the other guests, all the while swapping yarns about the day’s activities.

Wupperthal, for church, shoes, and flower-eating donkeys

Following on from my visit with Strassberger Shoes, I’m back on the road, taking a two-hour dirt-track mountain pass to Wupperthal.

Wupperthal is an isolated historical mountain village and Moravian mission station in the Cederberg (pop. +- 1,500). It’s accessible by a gravel road from Clanwilliam over the Pakhuis Pass.

There’s nothing much there other than a Moravian Church, a shop, a butcher, a guesthouse, a rooibos cosmetics shop, museum, tearoom, post office, a school with two hostels and a community hall.

It also has a shoe factory, founded by the missionaries which, in its heyday, produced traditional soft leather shoes (veldskoene).

Tourism picks up during the August and September Namaqualand flower season when the seemingly barren mountain slopes miraculously transform into wild-flower heaven for a few weeks.

Sadly in 2018, a fire swept through the town and surrounding area causing widespread devastation.

It incinerated most of the buildings, including 53 homes, leaving only the town’s church and school unscathed.

“You must please keep the church doors closed,” exclaimed Jasmin Redcliffe, the Moravian church minister in Wupperthal, who’d found me wandering around in his chapel.

“The donkeys came in and ate all the flowers on Mother’s Day.”

“To help preserve South African history”, says Rev Redcliffe, “the Rupert Foundation stepped in and rebuilt the town. Now it’s all done, but the pristine homes remain unoccupied. No businesses are operating – there is no tearoom, no rooibos soaps for sale, no shoe factory, no donkey cart rides, no curtains in the guesthouse windows.”

Speaking with a village elder, I learned that some blame the church, others the heritage trust, a few reckon it’s the residents themselves who don’t want progress, but most agree it’s the municipality who’ll not sign off on the newly restored dwellings, as millions are owed in back taxes.

It is believed Wupperthal should be taxed exempt as it’s a church mission station.

In the meantime, tourists flock to Wupperthal, then leave almost immediately as there’s literally nothing – a ghost town, with prefab accommodations for residents on the rugby field.

Sitting outside his corner shop I speak with Oom Woeka, who says the Rupert Foundation has completed all the restoration work and is updating the shoe factory, creating a working museum.

“It should be open soon. And we reckon all this,” he waves in a generally northerly direction, “will be sorted quickly after that.”

Kick up the dust in Elizabethfontein 

On my return journey to Clanwilliam, I stopped at Elizabethfontein Primary, a farm school down a long dirt track.

Here I learn about Rieldans, one of the country’s oldest dance styles, which forms an intricate part of South African heritage and dates to the Khoi and San tribes.

It lives on in the dusty vistas of the Northern Cape, the Karoo – and today I watched a performance from one of the top dance troupes in the country.

Over the years the Rieldans morphed into an award-winning movement kept alive by younger generations while retaining its essence as a form of storytelling by kicking the dust through fast movement, and energetically paced footwork.

Rock on

My final stop for the day is at Traveller’s Rest Farm Stall, just outside Clanwilliam, where the Sevilla Rock Art Trail began.

I’m led along an easy 5km hiking trail by Dawid, my guide, himself a descendant of the San tribe, who takes great pride in showing me nine San rock art sites.

The farm stall itself is in a pretty setting alongside the Brandewyn River and sells all sorts of treats and gifts, and traditional cuisine – including ice-cold beer.

A New Outlook

Like some of the best things in life, South Africa is best savored in an unhurried, leisurely manner, slowing the pace and allowing you to unpack – both physically and emotionally – giving you time to properly explore and absorb the magic.

It gives one the opportunity to utterly immerse in a destination, learn its nuances, and appreciate what makes it special.

On route out of Clanwilliam, heading to Lamberts Bay, I stop at Velskoendraai Farmstall. What a little gem! The whole farmstall, decorated with beautiful furniture, interesting knickknacks, and laden with tasty goodies, is an experience.

Owner, Louise Nortje, supports the local community by selling their arts, crafts, and homemade produce. There’s a corner beautifully displaying local wines; there’s also a dedicated Rooibos Tea Tasting room.

In fact, the farmstall is a shrine to all things Rooibos – from beauty products to infused gin, and everything in between – which is where I discovered the rooibos-infused African Ruby Vermouth.

Keep the beautiful Cabernet Sauvignon’s, and fancy Shiraz’s. This! This Vermouth, with its smooth, rich textures, is it! This is South Africa in a bottle. They claim it’s best served with dessert.

Personally, I see myself getting to know this bottle over the course of several hours, sitting on a stoep, with an old local telling tales of yesteryear. I left with a rooibos cappuccino, sweetened with honey, and topped with cinnamon, two bottles of Vermouth in the trunk, plus a generous bag of biltong (food for the road).

Explore more at the South African Tourism

http://www.destinationcederberg.co.za/

http://www.cedheroute.co.za/