Thirty ladies boarded the coach to head out to Luddite Wines in Bot Rivier.
Our day was thwarted with slight delays on the road – first off we sat for 25 minutes at a railway crossing in Muizenberg. Problems with the line to Simonstown had our Railways only using ONE line – so wait we had to wait. How can you do a ‘U’ turn with a 44seater coach – impossible!!
Next delay was going through Somerset West where there always seems to be a hold-up with the robots and traffic. Perhaps their robots are not properly sinchronysed!
Our compulsory stop at Peregrines for a bit of gathering had us arriving in Bot Rivier by just before 12h00 – considering we had left Constantia at 09h30 quite a time to do just over 92 kms!!
We received a warm welcome from Penny and Niels Verburg on their delightful farm. The views are fantastic over the farmlands and Niels told us on a clear day the sea near Hermanus is visible.
We got right into Wine Blending. Niels told us the proportions and gave us the correct measuring containers and we divided ourselves into teams. There was great rivalry as the mixing and blending got going! Eventually we had all done our thing and each team was satisfied with their end product. We were told to leave them on a table for Niels’ judging.
We went into lunch. Penny had made a delicious tomato and red pepper soup (“Oh we have tons of red peppers and tomatoes on the farm” – said Penny). Slow roasted lamb with veggies and a chocolate brownie and cream completed our lunch.
After lunch Niels announced that the “REBEL LITES” had won the wine blending – well done – Ingrid, Margaret, Hilda, Lyn, Lorraine and the two Anns’!! Your blend was judged to be the BEST!!
Before we left the farm Theresa and Margaret started serenading in the ladies toilet and this set the scene for the rest of the way back to the city with Ann joining in! Oh what fun a group of ladies can have…………..much merriment and happiness on the journey back to the city.
“Carol can’t we please stop at Houw Hoek Inn” – “Sure” ……..and guess what?.. more gathering was done, including a set of baskets that Theresa just HAD to take home.
All in all a lovely day out in the countryside of Botrivier.