It’s actually RIDICULOUS that it’s taken me OVER A YEAR to write this blog post! Sometimes PRs have to struggle with bloggers who promise to write something about their brands and then never do. I pride myself on never accepting opportunities unless I have FULL intention of reviewing them. The only time I won’t publish anything is if it’s totally horrendous and I just can’t recommend it – which doesn’t happen often. So I must apologise and let you know about this charming, boutique type wine farm – L’Avenir!
So POOR L’AVENIR! They have been nothing but splendid, wonderful and delicious and I have let them down by not publishing. I can only apologise and say, I had no idea I would have a new job, need to plan a wedding and a honeymoon. Officially, it is not you – it was definitely me!
So for those of you reading this, have you heard of this charming farm and guest house? It’s on the R44 just outside Stellenbosch and is an adorable country lodge and wine tasting venue.
Last year my Mom and I went through for a late lunch and wine tasting. While there is a tour in the morning of the actual cellar, we enjoyed the more casual wine tasting and cheese board.
We were so warmly welcomed by Leanne (who I had met at another wine event), who I didn’t realise worked at L’Avenir! She has a fantastic wine knowledge and it was really lovely to see her in her element and learn a bit more about the farm’s wines.
The entrance room at L’Avenir has a charming sketch on the wall, which tells visitors about the ‘terroir’ or landscape where the grapes are grown. This includes 27 hectares for the vineyard on sloped terrain to allow for diversity of grape styles (I presume is what they mean when the say styles).
Initially we sat under the roof of the veranda, but decided to move closer to the dam and relax under the shade of a nearby tree just because it was so pretty and relaxing. We started off our tasting with a beautiful sparkling wine, made in the Cap Classique Style (natural effervescent, does have have bubbles forced into it). I’m not mad about a lot of sparkling wines, but these were light and refreshing (not too bitter).
We then moved onto the white wines, but which were award winning or recommended wines in previous years. This included the single block chenin blanc and the Provenance chenin blanc.
We accompanied these easy drinking wines with a delicious cheese board, which is one of the better cheese boards I’ve had in Stellenbosch. The black olives were divine (I’ve only recently started eating olives); super delicious. I’m not a big liver fan but the chicken liver pate has walnuts in it which made it REALLY good. Not grainy and grimey like so many of them are. The cheese, bread and figs were simple but delicious. We really enjoyed this cheese board
As we sat sipping our wines, we took in the surrounding gold and orange vineyards around us. It was a warm and windless winter’s day, perfect for dreaming the afternoon away. We watched the boys fishing in the dam and they even caught a fish!
L’Avenir celebrates the marriage of French and South African heritage. The French traditions of good cheese and beautiful wines, with the home of South Africa giving life to these traditions. They represent their love for the two countries with their poodle and boerboel statues. They also have a springbok and rooster as a token to each country. It’s a lovely touch and a nice celebration of these two lands producing such wonderful produce. And you’re even able to play boules (“bull” I know it as) at the farm.
At this point we were suitably relaxed and happy and decided to go on a tour of L’Avenir’s guest lodge. A small, country hotel I would describe it as. A wonderful location for a small wedding party looking for accommodation or a large family holiday. This is not a massive hotel, but rather a small, charming ‘lodge’ for visitors to the area.
After a wonderfully relaxing afternoon we were about to head out when our server insisted that we tried their red wines too! We were so full, but we just couldn’t say no. I preferred the darker wine, I think it was the Pinotage, while my Mom preferred the Merlot. Also lovely wines, but I know more about white than red but do try them if you’re in the neighbourhood.
All I can say is THANK YOU SO MUCH to L’Avenir! And I’m SO sorry for being so delayed with sharing the news of how charming your venue is. I would really recommend it for a relaxed lunch, wine tasting, kitchen tea, birthday party – there isn’t extensive catering, but it’s a lovely place for kids to run around on the lawn while the folks sip delicious wine. I’m looking forward to returning one day soon!
