This morning we are headed to Spice Route Winery in the Swartland Region. They call it Spice Route because it was a provisioning spot. The entire cape area was a provisioning point back in the day when the Dutch East India trading company needed a place to re-supply the ships on the way the Orient to get spices, so the whole area here is called Spice Route.
This region looks like Santa Maria. It's mostly gently rolling hills, not as close to the dramatic mountains as the other regions we've been to. It's almost all dry farmed, with bush vines and no trellising. Most red Rhone varieties are grown here. This used to be a tobacco farm, and the wines are all solid. All the reds have tremendous color extraction, spiciness with firm tannins, I thought I actually tasted tobacco in the Mouvevre.
After a quick lunch at the Juno Cafe in Paarl, we head to the main event , the wine tasting at Fairview. This is the home of the Goat Tower and Goats do Rome brands along with the Fairview brands. We are met by goats on the tower in front of us and what looks like a big Napa Valley winery tasting room and visitor center. They actually do have a lot of milking goats here across the street from the winery. And the cheese production is
actually a bigger business than the Goats do Rome wine. The wines are pretty damn good, bottom to top. The Goats do Rome tastes better than ever. It is not just another critter label, this is a well made Rhone blend wine that will rival the Cotes du Rhone wine from France, though that's not what they are trying to imply by the name. I am just saying.
Charles Back and company are very innovative, planting grapes like Tannat and Petite Sarah, pushing the boundaries to see what South Africa can really do. The big end of Charles Back's house above the winery overlooks the valley below and table mountain off in the distance. The region is captivating. It has been producing wine for over 350 years, but it really only has been only 15 years in which the winemakers had the freedom to plant what they wanted where they wanted. When they get this all sorted out, there will be no telling how good these wines will be. The day ends up at Charles Back's house above the winery, with the sun setting overlooking the valley floor.