Our TravelGround blog team popped the cork on our #visitWitzenberg tour with a wine and olive oil tasting at Guinevere Guest Farm. There’s no better way to relax into a group getaway than with a wine tasting – especially when it’s in a region of ancient, wrinkled mountains and rural farmlands as beautiful as the Witzenberg, which comprises the towns of Tulbagh, Ceres, and Wolseley.

Once we’d skirted around cows and navigated the muddy forest track that brought on flashbacks of the thriller movie, Wrong Turn, we were met by the bushy-faced William Wyness, who could be mistaken for a man of the cave if it weren’t for the welcoming twinkle that shot from beneath his hipster hat.

Guinevere Guest Farm’s name was inspired by the neighbouring farm, Artois, which refers to King Arthur of Camelot. There is an aura of fables and fairy tales that permeates through the monastery-style building, setting it apart from modern times. It’s apparent from the get go that Guinevere is all about having fun and shaking up rigid notions of how wine ought to be made. As a micro-manufacturing winemaker (they only produce 1,000 – 1,200 bottles a year), they are not restricted by winemaking bodies and have more freedom to blend the rules. There is no guarantee as to how the wines will be processed and the flavours are sure to vary from year to year.

Despite losing a large portion of their vineyard to intense fires last year, the 2 and a half hectare vineyard has around 5,000 vines. The farm grows 5 varietals, namely Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz, Sauvignon Blanc, and Cabernet Franc; but you’ll often find Mourvedre thrown in the mix from neighbouring winemakers.

The first of our 5-wine tasting was a Sauvignon Blanc with an almost rosy colour as it was kept in a second-fill red barrel. The Bordeaux Blend 2012 is their flagship wine, yet you won’t find an exact formula for it anywhere. Their relaxed winemaking style often sees extra wood added to the barrels as easily as adding chocolate sprinkles on ice-cream. The final blend was a Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 with Shiraz 2013 – a deliciously spontaneous idea that solved the problem of having 2 barrels sitting half full.

William has also begun experimenting with pomegranate wine, which has a more subtle, organic flavour, and is generally enjoyed as an appertif. While it’s a completely new concept to us, pomegranate wine is pretty big in America, the Middle East, and Israel. It also makes a regular appearance on the breakfast table at Guinevere Guest Farm.

Last on the tasting menu was their thick, golden olive oil. The olive oil is unfiltered, so it is not only full of flavour and goodness, but lasts longer too. William is an avid botanist with a UCT degree behind his name, and he’s quick to tell us how guests at Guinevere Guest Farm can walk around the farm and pick their own seasonal produce, such as olives, grapes, pomegranates, gooseberries, almonds, figs, pears, plums, peaches, oranges, lemons, and tomatoes. But he is even more proud of the fact that the farm lies in a significant renosterveld zone, where this highly endangered species of fynbos grows so freely. It’s well worth taking an amble through the farmlands to fully appreciate this magical setting of secret forest, undulating vineyards, rare flora, and ancient mountain backdrop.

Note: The wines are made for the guest house, so visitors can enjoy a personal experience as they are the only ones to taste a specific blend. Don’t be surprised if you can’t find Guinevere wine in a few years’ time though, because they will soon be renamed (possibly to “Artois”) due to trademark conflicts with Namaqua’s range of Guinevere wines.

Prices:
Red blends: R60
White wine: R50
Olive oil: R60 for 375ml

Stay at Guinevere Guest Farm

Guinevere Guest Farm is the kind of place where you can put your feet on the furniture and relax with family, friends, and perfect strangers. The house is decorated with eclectic tiling, artworks, and furniture that take the stuffiness out of a country getaway. B&B accommodation is available in 5 double rooms, a family room, and 2 dormitory style rooms with 6 beds in each. The upstairs common room has a lounge and bar area, with a balcony and pool – the perfect spot to hang out with friends old and new.

Guinevere wines are currently only available at Guinevere Guest Farm, so make sure you pop in when you’re next in Tulbagh!