Smorgasbord of taste sensations elevates wine tasting experience ‘in the sky’
Waterkloof, the awe-inspiring cellar ‘in the sky’ outside Somerset West, celebrated for its award-winning architecture, elegant wines and omnipresent views, elevates its wine tasting experience with a newly improved Ploughman’s Platter brimming with local tastes and tidbits.
Available at R130 per person, this hearty offering of homegrown goodness includes the estate’s own olives – the very first batch has just been released – as well as Waterkloof’s 12 month naturally matured Healey’s Cheddar, which excelled as the country’s finest Round Cheddar at the prestigious 2013 South African Dairy Championships.
“Our olives are grown organically right here on the estate and are cured in a simple mixture of salt and water and then flavoured with Farm Manager Christiaan Loots’ secret family recipe. We fill our bottles with the glorious mix of olives right here in our kitchen, and each one is labelled by hand with love and care,” shares Waterkloof Chef Grégory Czarnecki.
Chef Grégory follows a ‘little is big’ mantra and supports smaller, local yet top notch quality producers to guarantee that the freshness and taste of its Ploughman’s Platter is paramount. Other delicacies on this tantalising tray of delights include cured meat, fresh bread, pickled onions, gherkins and fig preserve.
“Waterkloof’s golden thread of sustainability runs right through every aspect, from our bio-dynamic vineyards to our tasting lounge and restaurant. People love the romance of harvesting ingredients from nature and knowing where the food that they eat comes from,” adds Grégory who in addition to his platters also wows diners with his contemporary, South African influenced French cuisine at the estate’s magnificently appointed restaurant.
Waterkloof’s tasting room is situated inside its 120-seater fine dining restaurant, in a glass house on the slope of the Schapenberg, overlooking the farm and False Bay that has such an influence over its amphitheatre of vineyards and also adds a fitting backdrop to an elevated wine and dine experience. There a grand 360 degree fireplace dominates the space and while it adds an interesting visual focus it also keep things nice and cosy on chilly days.
What makes the Waterkloof experience so unique is that at all times one feels part of the farming and winemaking process, no matter if you are outside on the balcony or inside, enjoying wine in the lounge. The tasting area with its over scaled, picture like views of the farm and nature in progress, allows visitors to be at the centre of the farm, celebrating the culmination of winemaking and tasting.
Waterkloof’s elegant wines can be tasted at the estate seven day a week. A standard tasting costs R30 per person for a flight of six wines from Waterkloof’s False Bay and Peacock Ridge collections, or R40 for a premium tasting of the estates exclusive Circle of Life and Circumstance wines. The sensory Ploughman’s Platter is on offer at the tasting lounge from 10h00 till 15h00.
The Waterkloof Olives can be bought directly from the estate at R40 per jar.
For more information contact Waterkloof Estate at Tel: 021 858 1292; email [email protected] or visit www.waterkloofwines.co.za.
Waterkloof Estate is located outside Somerset West on the M9 Sir Lowry’s Pass Village Road.
