Paarl Pleasures: an Alternative Wine Route in South Africa by Rosanne Turner
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Most people know Stellenbosch for its student town reputation and Franschhoek for its gastronomic flair. But how many people consider a weekend away in Paarl? I gave it a try, and discovered a few pleasant surprises.
Convertible Roof Down
Heading out to Paarl from Hermanus late one Friday afternoon, with the temperature hitting 34ºC, we drove via Villiersdorp and over the Franschhoek Pass with the convertible roof down, meaning that I arrived looking a little more like Tina Turner than Rosanne Turner.
After freshening up, we ventured into town to see what an evening out in Paarl had to offer. Stumbling across Café Cuba, with its authentic Cuban décor, we sipped drinks on the step, overlooking the street with ancient oak trees and Cape Dutch architecture. We chatted to the barman to find out what happens in Paarl on a Friday night and discovered, apparently, not much. Locals prefer to 'kuier' (visit) with friends and family than go out on the town.
Strolling the Streets
As we strolled through the streets, peering in at bars and restaurants, enjoying the balmy summer's evening, suddenly we found all the people. Noop restaurant was abuzz and we couldn't resist finding out why. The old building has been restored, incorporating traditional features into a modern feel. Oregon pine floorboards, high ceilings with fans and white walls with bold artwork combined with the attentive staff, creates a relaxed dining atmosphere.
The menu, prepared in an open-view kitchen, offers interesting variations of the traditional, along with owner Abe 'Noop' Conradie's flair for the unusual. I highly recommend the Gnocchi el Greco – potato gnocchi tossed in a fresh origanum sauce with olives, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, almonds and garlic. I will long remember that meal, possibly the best gnocchi I have ever had. It is easy to see why Noop is so popular. Hotel staffs send their guests along, guaranteeing them an excellent meal, and locals keep coming back for more.
Country Living
Some folk venture into the countryside to experience true country living. You will find this type of hospitality in most guest houses and many of the wine farms offer bed and breakfast or self-catering options. However, if you find the 'home-away-from-home' atmosphere of a guest house a little too personal, you may prefer the anonymity of a hotel or a self-catering establishment. We stayed at The Tower luxury apartments, conveniently located in the centre of town.
The apartments are fully equipped and stylishly furnished with a contemporary feel. Egyptian cotton linen adorns the beds, and accents of red and silver as well as original artwork, brighten up the rooms. Watching the rugby that evening on a comfortable couch, with a fridge stocked from the wine route, almost felt like being at home.
Our days were spent exploring the Paarl wine route, and definitely worthy of a mention is Fairview. Fairview cannot be classified as an estate, as not all their grapes are grown on the grounds where the wine is produced. In no way does this deter from the quality of the wines in the Fairview portfolio.
Best Grapes on Offer
In fact the opposite is true, as winemaker Charles Back is not restricted to cultivars grown on the farm, he can choose the best grapes on offer from different growing regions. Three ranges are on offer for tasting: The Fairview range, including a limited release selection, the Goats Do Roam range and the newly introduced La Capra collection.
Knowledgeable staff introduce the wines, obviously passionate about the products on offer. My favourite of those tasted was the Primo Pinotage – a spicy wine with notes of dark chocolate and vanilla, part of the limited release selection.
Tongue-in-Cheek
No visit to Fairview would be complete without sampling some of their award-winning cheeses. The Goats Do Roam range of wines, all with tongue-in-cheek names, honour the goats of Fairview and the iconic goat tower that stands at the entrance. The farm has a resident herd of some 600 goats, whose milk is used in the making of the cheeses. An old maturation cellar has been converted into a restaurant know as The Goatshed. The menu is Mediterranean inspired, making use of the farm's cheeses, and allows for both indoor and outdoor dining.
With a boot and back seat loaded with wine, we headed home. Needless to say, we will be returning to Paarl in the near future, as our wine racks are looking sadly empty already; so good is the wine from this region. We only managed to touch on a few of the vineyards in the area, and look forward to coming back to sample more.
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