The Cape is blessing us with her ferocious weather; it is only cold rain and nasty winds. What better way to spend these bad days than travelling a bit to places far away from the preferred destinations? We decided to travel down the fynbos roads towards the inland where predominantly wheat farming happens. A small hidden gem, a family-owned wine farm, brewing their own beer, where you can sit at big fireplaces warming up, enjoying their wines and enjoying the countryside view, the Black Oystercatcher Wine Farm offered its unique approach to winemaking and dining experiences to us.
When you walk into the tasting room, you are not greeted by anyone. You are greeted by a board that reads:
And that is just what we did! We made our way into the warm room, two big fireplaces keeping everyone warm.
We picked up a box in which we started to place our little picnic board.
We ordered bread, a wine tasting, which they prepared for us, and we made our way to the warmest area. The cold was already getting into our bones, so we occupied the seats right next to the fire.
The small deli offered so many things that you can choose from; olives, spreads, pickled fruits and vegetables, and an assortment of cheeses.
And obviously, there are the many different wines that they offer.
Our basket was filled with some meats, cheese, olives, figs, and some canned wine!
They bake ciabatta on-site, as a baker I am always sceptical about buying bread. But this one blew me away. I will rate it a 9 out of 10!
With the bread's arrival, we also received our wine, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. The perfect combination with wine.
I told 
Whilst we enjoyed the bread and wine and assorted condiments and snacks, we observed the beautiful internal decor of the tasting room. They used the local bluegum and black wattle tree leaves as chandeliers.
The lights at the other end of the tasting room looked like it was straight from a magazine.
But we also had a friendly visitor who just wanted our meat! But she was so cute and friendly.
It was raining again, and we could not really spend too much time outside. When the weather is like this and you have only a couple of days in which you can do everything, you make the best of it. Outside, you are greeted with the best views of the local farms.
The outside decor of the wine farm is just as beautiful. It does not feel like you are in the middle of a farming district.
Amazingly, they grow so many of their vegetables and produce on-site. Rather than plant the usual decor plants, they used the area where the cars park as a perfect spot to grow their produce. I am sure they use this in their kitchen and restaurant.
Postscriptum, or Let us Drink Beer at a Wine Farm
In the end, we decided to buy some beer to drink with the board games we were going to play; again, because the weather was so bad. But what can you do? We are blessed to be living in such a wonderful place, but sometimes the weather is really just not playing along.
So, I hope that you enjoyed this virtual journey with me to a wonderful winery in the middle of almost nowhere. It is a drive solely to the wine farm so you really have to be dedicated. But you are surely rewarded with beautiful sights, wonderful wine, and some crazy beers!
The symbiotic relationship between wine farms and beer breweries is something I feel more places should explore.
In any case, I hope that you will visit here if you ever find yourself in this area! It is quite a way from central Cape Town, I think about 2-3 hours away. It is really amazing, especially when it is so cold and windy.
All of the writings and musings are my own. I was not paid or remunerated in any way or form to say anything. The photographs are also my own, taken with my Nikon D300.