Friday is arguably everyone’s favourite day of the week. However, planning an exciting weekend can sometimes prove a bit tricky, especially when you have so much to do and so little time. To help you out, TravelGround has found a great solution to kickstart your weekend in the best possible way: Music Fridays at Waterford Estate!
Waterford Estate can be found in the heart of the Cape Winelands in the picturesque Blaauwklippen Valley near Stellenbosch. This beautiful estate is best known for its unique wine and chocolate pairings and this experience just became even better! Live music every Friday between 16:00 and 18:00 is now also on Waterford Estate’s menu to add some art and entertainment to their already popular mix. The music is performed by Louise Day, a music sensation nominated by the South African Music Awards for Best Pop Album. And we were invited to attend one of these mouthwatering events.
Waterford Estate was one of the first wine estates to introduce wine and chocolate pairings and it’s still one of the most popular places to visit for this decadent experience. These delicious pairings are the result of a collaboration between Kevin Arnold, their cellar master, and Richard von Geusau, the famous chocolatier from Greyton. Von Geusau specially crafted these cocoa treats to complement the delicate flavours of select Waterford wines.
A standard wine and chocolate tasting is served as a three course meal and includes three of the estate’s best wines paired with three heavenly, handcrafted chocolate squares. The starter was a powerful, spicy Kevin Arnold Shiraz complemented with a decadent cinnamon-infused Masala Chai Dark Chocolate. The main course consists of a much heavier, well-structured Waterford Cabernet Sauvignon, paired with its perfect partner: a Rock Salt Dark Chocolate. Lastly, it was time for dessert with the vanilla-rich Heatherleigh Natural Sweet paired with a Rose Geranium Milk Chocolate, giving guests a divine taste reminiscent of Turkish Delight and Zoo Biscuits – absolutely amazing!
The estate also offers a more comprehensive tasting should you want to savour a wider variety of their wines. The comprehensive tasting include five additional reds and whites from the Waterford, Pecan Stream and Kevin Arnold ranges.
If you don’t want this lovely experience to end, spoil yourself by ordering a gourmet boerie, a bottle of Waterford wine or even just a creamy cappuccino and relax in the great company of your friends and the wonderful taff at Waterford Estate.
“You don’t choose the music, music chooses you.” – Louise Day
Louise Day, a folk/pop singer and songwriter from Cape Town, performs live entertainment during the wine and chocolate tastings in the tasting room. Louise’s soulful voice creates a soothing atmosphere for guests to enjoy the lovely duo of wine and chocolate. She performed a few well-known covers, including “Fields of Gold” by Sting, “Thinking out Loud” by Ed Sheeran and “This Story” by Brandi Carlile. And also entertained with her own original songs such as “Nothingville”, “Sunlight” and “Closer”. Being in this spectacular setting while enjoying all the decadence and the masterful music, you could easily imagine being somewhere in the French countryside!
Waterford Estate was styled according to the engaging terracotta design of the classic Bordeaux chateaux of France. The courtyard of this enchanting estate features the Waterford fountain, which is the main emblem of the Waterford Estate brand.
Guests can enjoy tastings in the tasting room, especially on Live Music Fridays or on cold winter days next to the warm hearth. During the summertime however, the tastings can be enjoyed outside in the magnificent alfresco stone courtyard with a view of the lovely central fountain.
Everyday life at Waterford Estate is built on their philosophy: The Waterford Way. This philosophy celebrates prosperity, life, food, wine, family and friends. It is visible in everything they do, from the staff’s friendliness and hospitality, to the way they manage to draw guests back time and again ─ not only for their fine wines and sweet treats, but also for the way in which they simply make you feel at home.
So, cancel any plans you’ve made for Friday and book your table for a unique Wine and Chocolate tasting paired with live music by Louise Day. You will not be disappointed!
After this amazing experience and all the soothing wine, you will definitely not be in the mood to drive all the way back home. So why not extend the fun a little bit and book an overnight stay at one of our beautiful accommodation options near Waterford Estate!
All photos by Corlia Fouché and TravelGround.
