Get away from it all in Darling and the West Coast

Get away from it all in Darling and the West Coast

We've all considered leaving the fast lane for the slower pace of small town living. Jeanri-Tine van Zyl visits Darling and the West Coast - just outside Cape Town but a million miles away.

 

In the fluster and frustration of a fast-paced metropolitan life, it's easy to forget the primal pleasure of walking along a dusty road in a small town.

We city-slickers have become accustomed to reaching our respective destinations with the latest Muse or Pearl Jam album blaring on the car radio. Slowing down is a luxury few pursue as we speed past billboards advocating the appropriation of things we don't really need.

In a small town there are no billboards; no fast cars; no heart-chilling sirens. And as I walk to my accommodation for the night, I know that those who dwell on the West Coast are the richer for it.

At De Gans Guest House on the outskirts of Darling, Tannie Nita is the skattebol of a hostess who offers authentic country hospitality.

Her establishment is situated in Langfontein Street and consists of double-ceilinged rooms as big as her heart. Chickens scratch between the lavender that surround the guest house, and her homely space entices visitors to relax in true Darling fashion. De Gans, tel 022 492 2576.

Skattebol, Sithandwa ...
Darling

Now an arty town that is home to "South Africa's most famous white woman" - Evita Bezuidenhout - there was a time when Darling attracted visitors purely because of its location.

The main road along West Coast used to run through Darling, relates Shaun McLaughlin of marketing body Darling Wine Producers and owner of Trinity Lodge, a trip that included an important stopover at Nemesia Hotel in Main Road.

However, with the "new" R27 taking visitors directly to their respective destinations along the coast, the once-Victorian hotel - now all facebrick and green tint - has lost popularity and is now jokingly referred to as "Amnesia Hotel".

A derision that could have applied to the rest of Darling as visitor numbers dwindled in subsequent years.

Not for long though. The slumbering town has experienced a good curve of social revival, initially spurred by two main events: the arrival of Pieter-Dirk Uys as Evita Bezuidenhout and the opening of Evita se Perron in 1996, and Darling being granted official wine-of-origin/appellation status in November 2003.

These two main attractions are now supported by numerous festivals and natural wonders that attract a steady flow of visitors throughout the year.

While there are a handful more guesthouses and restaurants to cater for the recent increase in numbers, the town still radiates country calm - which is perhaps its biggest appeal. Evita se Perron, tel 022 492 3930.

Ormonde Private Wine Cellar

In what is still very much a communitydriven town, you get the idea that Darling will never rid itself of its low-key genuineness: the people who live here just aren't prone to "fakery".

An example of this is Ormonde wine farm's co-owner and viticulturist, Theo Basson. With operations including three tiers of well-crafted wines, Basson has every reason to be boastful, but that simply wouldn't be his demeanour.

Ormonde is situated just up the road from De Gans Guesthouse, and I walk over to join Basson for a wine tasting at the cellar.

His range include the large-scale and great value Alexanderfontein collection and upper-tiered Ondine and Ormonde wines - all well structured and delicious. I note that wines are not only produced at various price points but from nearly all of the noble grape varieties.

What does this say about Darling's "terroir"? Basson answers that various soil types in the confined area - from tukulu through to granite-types - allow for winemakers to run the gamut in their plantings, assisting them in their goal to produce wines "of fine character".

It is especially on the white wine front consumers will find nuances that are quintessentially Darling - think stofpad (dusty road) after a rainstorm and green peas.

These are aromas now sought after by many non-Darling producers - the area's fruit proved to be a component in many of the top wines in last year's annual Sauvignon Blanc Top 10.

Ormonde Vineyards, tel 022 492 3540, www.ormonde.co.za.

Wines of Origin Darling and a cat called Marmalade

Ormonde is one of five wine farms that comprise the Darling Wine Route. Groote Post, Darling Wine Cellars, Cloof and Tukulu (only open by appointment) are the others doing more than their fair share to contribute generous amounts of good-value wines to the industry.

Though travellers might want to seek out some of the premium wines found along this wine route, as these are honest, personality-driven wines that reflect the character of the valley.

I am sitting with McLaughlin and wife Debbie at local hotspot The Marmalade Cat, in Main Road. It is a Friday evening (which means wood-fired pizza), which means the eclectic interior of Sandy Collins' establishment is a hub of activity.

With gourmet toppings, the pizzas excellently match the richer reds of the valley. "I always go for the steak and peppers pizza," recommends McLaughlin before proceeding to pour the wines.

Tukulu's Sangiovese 2007, Darling Cellars' Sir Charles Henry Darling 2007 (a Bordeaux- style blend), Kalumpie & Co 2005 (a red blend from Cloof), Ormonde Theodore Eksteen 2007 and Groote Post Sauvignon Blanc - a selection of some of the best styles available from the area.

The wines have a definite unique character, we conclude, with McLaughlin reiterating that "the people here will never be what they are not, and I think, in a way, it shows in the wine".

The Marmalade Cat, tel 022 492 2515.

Hilda's Kitchen and lunch with Lukas Wentzel

Lukas Wentzel from Groote Post is as selfeffacing as his counterpart at Ormonde. He has a happy-go-lucky attitude, with a face designed to show off this character trait - his smile as generous as the portions prepared by Debbie McLaughlin in Hilda's Kitchen.

Groote Post is perhaps the best-known of the Darling wineries, with wines to serve most pockets and palates. And they're well made too, having received particularly good ratings in the latest Platter's. Though Wentzel is not easily wooed: "It's nonsense, man. How does one farm manage to get four-star ratings for all its wines?"

With good winemaking and innovation, it seems. Groote Post recently introduced a very approachable Weisser Riesling to its portfolio, as well as an unconventional Cap Classique made from 80% Merlot grapes!

The wine portfolio is diverse with the richly layered Sauvignon Blanc Reserve 2009 and Pinot Noir 2007 definite stand-outs. "Every wine has a special place in the market in terms of taste and price," says owner Nicholas (Nic) Pentz, adding: "We are trading in a premium category but it's within everyone's means to obtain."

At Hilda's Kitchen, which serves ouma farm fare with a modern twist, McLaughlin's blue cheese and onion tartlet provides a decadent kick-off, then she dishes up a Bo-Kaap fish masala (match this with the new Weisser Riesling). The plum tart is simply gorgeous.

Book outside on warmer days, as these tables benefit from the cooling shade of the pergola overhead. It's romantic, too, with only a few tables completing the interior - but be sure to book in advance to ensure a space!

Groote Post, tel 022 492 2825, www.grootepost.com.

Other Darling wineries:

Cloof Wine Estate, tel 022 492 2839, www.cloof.co.za

Darling Cellars, tel 022 492 2276, www.darlingcellars.co.za

Tukulu, tel 021 809 7000, www.tukulu.co.za

The Farmhouse at Langebaan

With Karoo-like backdrops, white boulders and tranquil blue waters, I imagine the West Coast to be a close imitation of the Greek Islands. I am not the first - there's already Club Mykonos in whitewashed Langebaan.

It's more than the sun-drenched porches and harbour-hugging coves, though. There is a West Coast hospitality that is most surely Mediterranean in character.

It is in Langebaan that you find The Strandloper, an open-air eatery where diners can join in on a multi-course, casual lunch - the portions of which are as big as you can stomach.

You can't leave the West Coast without having sat with your toes in the sand here, eating snoek slathered in apricot jam with your hands, and washing it down with your choice of BYO (tel 022 772 2490.

Another West Coast must-visit is The Farmhouse in Langebaan. Owned by the Myburg family years ago, the original building used to be a halfway house where seamen and travellers could stock up on seasonal produce and bread.

After becoming dilapidated, it was rebuilt by Neville Dorrington (now of Rijk's fame) and, after its official opening in 1993, the four-star hotel soon attracted travellers of a different kind - inland visitors, drawn by the floral splendour during between July and September.

Today, The Farmhouse is still a renowned spot for the weary traveller. From the cosy restaurant with its big terrace overlooking the colour-changing lagoon to its countrycharm rooms, the hotel is also the ideal place for travellers looking for a romantic getaway.

We are booked into "the loft" - one of the suites that include a French Double Slipper bath in front of a fireplace with dreamy views of the harbour where catamarans and yachts bob.

The lagoon is flanked by Postberg in the distance, and I am told that during the flower season between mid-July and the end of September, this kop wears a crown of bright flowers, the colours clearly visible from the hotel's various verandas.

Most, if not all, travellers list the show of flowers as one of the top natural wonders in South Africa.

In terms of location, The Farmhouse Hotel therefore provides a magnificent position from which to explore the West Coast National Park and the Postberg Nature Reserve at the tip of the Postberg Peninsula (only open in August and September), where flowers bloom in abundance.

The Farmhouse Restaurant offers hearty meals and is a good refreshment stop when travelling along the R27 to destinations further up the coast. Seafood is fresh, the prawns being a particularly good option, with meat prepared to tender, succulent goodness.

Don't expect schnell service - but when on holiday, who's keeping time? The Farmhouse Hotel, tel 022 772 2062, www.thefarmhousehotel.com.

Bring back a pebble from Paternoster

We depart from The Farmhouse on a hot Sunday morning for the fishing village of Paternoster. A coastline dotted with fishermen houses; a beach with bright boats...

Paternoster presents a great danger to anyone: stay long enough and you will not want to leave - and if you do, you will return. That's the promise, and the curse, of visiting Paternoster.

Fish and chips wrapped in unprinted newspaper, bought at the fish market on the beach, is perhaps the best of this clichéd combo you'll ever have - so good, in fact, that it is not unreasonable to think that the combo must have been invented here, amidst the flocks of seagulls fighting for scraps from the boats.

Brand new in town, however, is Gaaitjie, a modest restaurant situated right on the corner of the beach - the kind of place you discover during an impromptu, unplanned trip.

First the location, then the interior, invites you to investigate, then it tempts with an inspiring menu, and finally, after a marvellously languorous lunch, you book into a cottage close by because the overall offering (matched with glass upon glass of crisp Sauvignon Blanc) means no one should leave too soon.

I enjoy the best meal of my West Coast experience at Gaaitjie: snoek lasagne, the fish flaked and simmered in a tomato and grape must sauce, loosely sandwiched between layers of handmade pasta and doused in a white wine butter.

"En wat van ietsie soets?" ("How about something sweet?") our waiter asks, a mischievous glint in her eye as she recommends the litchis preserved in witblitz - indeed a daring end to the meal! (P.S. BYO is advised if you don't drink ice with your whites.)

Gaaitjie, tel 022 752 2242.