Glen Carlou (first featured in The Month in April 2009) is, to me, a surprisingly impressive wine estate. Now, I guess, I need to qualify my use of the word “surprising” and why I think it’s impressive.

A stone’s throw from the Klapmuts Road, that stretch that links the R44 to the R45 and runs as a diagonal to the R101 and the N1, Glen Carlou sits atop a hill with an expansive view of the sounding vineyards and orchards to the north east and further on to Paarl Rock and  its surrounds. This view is generally the first thing that gets my attention on entering the wine farm’s open plan restaurant and tasting area – the north-facing wall of which is made up of glass doors that opens on to a vista that is hidden when speeding along the road below.