James Cannon shares his Wine Route experience:
“A good friend called to say he had heard about a Wine Route around the Vaal River region. We contacted the organisers and found out more about the event, the different venues and the wines that would be on offer. We were also told about extras on offer like special coffees, cheeses, arts and crafts, cultural music, Sunday buffet cruises, helicopter transfers which are available at various venues. We are avid wine lovers and were very curious to discover just how the Vaal could provide wine which we know is usually only available in the Cape Province, so we decided to make the trip.
We arrived at the Waterfront Country Lodge and checked in, then we boarded a luxury bus to Emerald Casino High Stakes Restaurant for our first tasting of the day. The tour guide welcomed us and gave us a brief history of the Vaal and its surroundings.
We were properly briefed on the wine, its origin, maker and various blends. We learned how we were supposed to smell it, taste it and needless to say 'not spit it out' into the provided spittoons. Our hostess escorted us down to the jetty where we met Craig and his luxury River Cruiser, the River Otto. We set off down the river to our second stop at the Riverside Hotel for a delicious lunch.
The tour guide accompanied us along the route to ensure that we kept to the times of departure from each venue. We enjoyed stopping at the various ports – from Riverside Hotel and a walk through the lovely shady gardens to Stonehaven on Vaal's sunny river banks, lovely blooming rose gardens and fabulous wine cellar, to The River Palace with its cozy fire place.
We arrived back at the Waterfront Country Lodge where we were welcomed by the staff and invited to sip cocktails as we watched the final streaks of the sun as it sank below the horizon.
We were absolutely thrilled that we did not have to wait five years before we could make a trip to the Cape to taste new wine and select our favourites. We were able to purchase cases of the wines of our choice at each venue and have them delivered to homes in Johannesburg and Pretoria.”
