“People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us.” I love this quote by Iris Murdoch, and I can’t help but think of the planets out there without wine too… What lucky earthlings we are.
Spring is the ultimate time to take a wine-tasting trip along the West Coast. The winter rains have left the landscape green and saturated—and absolutely adorned with wild flowers, from vygies and daisies to lilies and roses.

The drive to Groote Post on the compact Darling wine toute is a flower route all on its own. While on a recent bloom-hunting trip, we popped into this 18th century farm, via a dirt road off the West Coast road, the R27, to taste their wines.

It’s a bright, blue spring day; at the entrance, large granite boulders support both an antique slave bell (the one on the wine labels) and a sun dial.

The tasting room is hidden inside the historic homestead, through the cellar. It’s a cool and welcoming space to try the wine. The highlights for me are the MCC, the Pinot Noir (2013), Kapokberg Chardonnay and the Chenin Blanc. All luscious, fruit-forward wines.

There are hints to this farm’s long history throughout—and the restaurant is the stuff of legends too. Called Hilda’s Kitchen, it was named after Hildagonda Duckitt, author of the notable Hilda’s ‘Where Is It?’ and Hilda’s Diary of Cape Housekeeping. In the early 18th century she called Groote Post “dear old home”.

On the way out we take the Darling route in the opposite direction to how we entered and are rewarded with a spectacular spring flower show as we drive.
We wind up our trip at the Posberg section of West Coast National Park for a braai among the flowers while, of course, enjoying a bottle of Groote Post wine.
The best way to experience the Namaqua West Coast Wine Route further up the coast would be to book a couple of day’s accommodation somewhere and take it slow. Our journey this time was too quick to take it in, but we’ll be back to explore the rest soon. There’s so much to see here. I asked Monika de Jager, manager of the West Coast Wine Route, for some of her tips and highlights. Watch this space, West Coast winding and wining is to be continued…
Head to Klawer Wine Cellars, gateway to the Olifants River Valley.
Namaqua Wines is in the heart of the Matzikama, a region that ‘offers a fairy tale of fauna and flora, just waiting to be discovered’.
Desert Rose: ‘Two friends produce up-and-coming wines. They participate in the whole process, from harvesting to labelling the bottles themselves. All bottles are numbered and the blends are named after their daughters.’
At Rosslo Wines, wine is made on a small scale and is available from the guesthouse, Voorsorg. The flagship, Rosslo Jerepico, is said to be an old favourite.
‘Two of the best families have combined with two of the best varieties to bring you a wine with which you can dine.’ Try Vleiland’s Shiraz and Cabernet.
Wilgenhof is a small family business and everyone is involved in the production of the wine.
Enjoy cheese platters and wine at Teubes Wines, where three generations have been making ‘quality wines close to the Atlantic Ocean’.
It’s another family affair at Bellpost. The vineyards, cellar and wine business are run by the Thiart family.
‘Everything is done by hand at Cape Rock Wines. The aim is to produce wines that can mature for a while, but are elegant and easy drinking right from the start.’
Taste Lutzville Vineyards’ wines at their cellar in the Café Wijne restaurant.
Find Joan Wiggins at Seal Breeze. With no formal training in winemaking, at age 51 she took on the challenge and started farming, harvesting and making her own wine.
Fryer’s Cove Vineyards’ wines are ‘forged of the earth, tempered by the sea’. Come and try the wines at their unique Jetty Restaurant.
Sir Lambert Wines is located just three kilometres from the sea at Lambert’s Bay. Wine tastings and sales are conducted daily at Teubes Wines
Tierhoek, one of the original Sandveld farms, is ‘nestled in the lofty region of the Piekenierskloof’. Their flagship is the Chenin Blanc made from low yielding 30-year-old trellised vines. They also produce the popular Tierhoek Straw Wine.
For more information on these farms, head to www.namaquawestcoast.com/wine. (Please note that tasting is by appointment only at some of these wineries.)
 
– Malu Lambert