Wine hunting in Madikwe
Watering holes
There are some things money can't buy - finding a decent winelist in Madikwe, in the heart of the African bushveld, is one of them. Jeanri-Tine van Zyl sips wine wearing khaki shorts.
Everyone has dedicated some thought to having an "out of Africa" experience. After having had mine, I can unwaveringly underscore the sense of this romantic notion - because locals should, even if just once, splurge to experience their own Africa as a tourist would.
But donning khaki gear does not mean that your preference for fine wine takes a backseat in a jeep when leaving the winelands. Because too often people return from safaris bemoaning the anaemic state of winelists, and instead of highlighting sightings of the Big Five, they mention the lack of decent wine at certain establishments. When questioning the reason for overall middleof- the-road selections at 5 Star establishments north of the winelands, the problem seems to be a lack of wine knowledge on the part of those in the safari business as well as difficulties regarding supply. Getting wine to lodges in physically remote areas is an expensive exercise.
This is not an acceptable excuse, however. When you splurge on an African safari, you want your choice of drink to add, not detract from, your experience. After all, you are willing to fork out the money, why shouldn't your place of lodging do likewise? But where do you go to find a great wine offering in the bush?
Madikwe Game Reserve, just three hours north of Johannesburg, has been making an increased effort to update winelists and improve staff knowledge. Notably two private lodges within the reserve stand out for having a fine selection of wines: Madikwe Hills Private Game Lodge and Mateya Safari Lodge.
Getting there
Ingrid Motteux from wine consultant company Winewise, has been working extensively with these lodges to enhance the wine-and-dine experience.
"You won't be disappointed," she assures me before my trip. But I have had my fair share of visits to wild life parks and I am skeptical. My skepticism is worsened when, while waiting for my connection flight on Federal Air at their thatched roof premises next to O.R Tambo, I ask for a glass of wine and I am offered a choice of red or white Drostdy Hof box wine...
Most of the visitors at the Fedair departure hall are tourists dressed in khaki shorts adorned with dangling cameras. At one table, sipping a G&T, a woman is wearing an elaborate shirt with sequined giraffes. "Wild Beauty" proclaims the slogan next to the glittering animals. When asked about her wine experiences at parks in Southern Africa, she remembers having had "something Cape wine" at Vic Falls, but "nothing spectacular". She does not seem overly concerned, though, and rearranging her floppy hat she is ready to board for the second leg of her African trip.
The aircraft leaving for Madikwe is a Cessna Grand Caravan seating 12 passengers. Cloud cover on the day is low, dense and dark, enough to induce stress in any flyer. And seven minutes after our take-off all flights in the area are diverted to Lanseria airport west of Pretoria due to bad weather conditions. Weaving the aircraft through clouds at 7 000 feet, trying to avoid Charlie Bravo's (clouds that funnel to the top creating serious up-and-down drafts) makes for a very bumpy flight. Suffice to say that when I disembark on Madikwe's airstrip an hour later I am in need of a big glass of wine.
Madikwe Hils Private Game Lodge
For bush lovers it does not get sexier than this. The lodge sits atop wooden stilts creating the feeling that you are staying in a massive tree house. Rooms all have a splash pool on a private balcony that overlooks stretches of acacia and wild basil. An outside shower, Victorian bath and small luxuries complete the scene.
Adding to the splendour is the private lodge's fair selection of wines. On arrival at the lodge there is no time to enjoy a glass from the cellar, however, since it is high tea time, and granadilla cake is better matched with rooibos than Sauvignon Blanc.
Teaspoon laid down, I board for a game drive with ranger Jaco and guide Max - one of two drives that leave the lodge daily at 06:00 and 16:00. These drives include drinks and snacks, and after spotting a lion we stop for sundowners not too far from where this Afromaned lion is resting in the grass. Amid the sounds of roosting hornbills and bul-buls, glasses are filled with the respective drinks of choice. The only white wine is an in-flight size bottle of Nederburg Paarl Riesling... but the sky is changing from orange to violet, and scrutinising the quality of the wine seems inappropriate.
At dinner sommelier Bright attends to wine needs. "The big thing of Madikwe Hills," he informs, "is the extensive selection of its wines, especially the South African collection." There are about 500-plus bottles in its cellar, and among these Bright says that Pinotage "moves very well, as well as the Meerlust Rubicon".
That said I am relieved when he offers me a bottle of Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 to accompany my dinner of roast rack of impala topped with a béchamel sauce. Unfortunately the balance is upset with the meat being unnecessarily tough.
Relying on the setting and luxury to "save" an otherwise very standard meal should be inexcusable at an establishment of this calibre.
After dinner I return to my room to find the mosquito net has been loosened, the soft veil dropped over my bed to create an image of Africa at its most romantic.
Mateya Safari Lodge
This private lodge is home to one of the largest private collections of African art in the country - the name itself pays homage to Queen Mateya who sought rain by bestowing gifts on the rain queen, Queen Modjadji. Just one of many myths and African tales relayed via the beaded, carved and moulded artifacts that stand in every corner and on every counter.
The veld with its flitting butterflies, squawking cries of rollers, and sights of elephant, giraffe and lion, does not come close to preparing you for the absolute hedonistic abandonment that Mateya Safari presents.
There are but five luxury units, each with his-and-her granite basin tops, a private splash pool, deck and outside shower. But the true, riotous pleasure is that you can have all this matched with the house wine of your choice, at no extra cost. Not just any house wine, the collection here is so extensive and iconic that you almost do not need to leave the reserve to experience anything else.
Built on two levels, the cellar incorporates more than 4 000 wines, including an impressive collection of French wines like Château Pétrus 1998 (R20 000 a bottle) and Mouton Rothschild in various vintages ranging from R4 000 to R12 000 a bottle.
In the South African collection, most if not all are offered as house wines. Be prepared, though, for when standing in front of so many rare finds it is hard to decide what to draw from the cylindrical casks. I opt to have a Meerlust Rubicon 1993 to accompany my dinner.
But what does this form of indulgence cost? At R6 250 per person per night for a room at Mateya Safari, R3 600 for a return flight via O.R Tambo on a Cessna, R1 000 for khaki shorts and shirt - listening to barn owls stirring the night with screeching hoots and watching the southern cross brightly guiding pilgrims from an African sky while enjoying your last sip of Rubicon - priceless. There really are some things money can't buy...
FOR YOUR BUSHVELD WINE
EXPERIENCE
Within Madikwe Game Reserve there are different
lodges that all offer different experiences at
different price points.
Madikwe Hills Private Game Lodge:
Off-season (1 May to 31 Aug 2009): R 3 750 pp
per night sharing.
High season: (1 Jan to 30 Apr 2009, 1 Sept to
31 Dec 2009): R4 950 pp per night sharing.
Tel 013 737 6626/7, www.madikwehills.com
Mateya Safari Lodge:
Off-season (1 Jun to 30 Sept 2009): R4 300 pp
per night sharing.
High-season (Until 30 May 2009, 1 Oct 2009 to
31 Oct 2009): R6 250 pp per night sharing
Tel 014 778 9200, www.mateyasafari.com
Getting there:
Federal Air offers a daily shuttle flight from
Madikwe airstrip to Johannesburg. There are
two flights daily and a return flight costs about
R3 600. It is also an easy drive of 320km.
