As the road winds through the country and into Franschhoek you will find a wine estate steeped with history, laden with culture, music and authentic people and offering the finest wine and cuisine one could ask for.
I have had the pleasure of visiting Solms Delta on two occasions now and the farm has truly endeared itself to me. In January 2010 my husband and I chose the estate as the special venue for our anniversary after reading about the picnic experience they offer. We arrived as strangers to this unknown wine farm and our first stop was the Museum van de Caab. The social history of the 320-year-old estate is displayed in the intimate museum in the original wine cellar, dating back to 1740.
Adjoining the museum they have a tasting room and this was the first place that Peter and I saw the passion of the staff that work there. Our wine-tasting guide Mercia took us through the eight wines that Solms Delta have on offer and to our delight, not only did they taste fantastic, they all told a story about the farm and its rich heritage.
Our favourite Solms Delta Wines:
- Hiervandaan: a red wine blend of Shiraz, Mourvèdre, Grenache, Carignan and Viognier. Hiervandaan (meaning ‘from this place’) is a word with special significance in the colonial history of the Cape.
- Africana: a Franschhoek shiraz 100% desiccated on the vine and Solm’s Delta flagship wine. Africana is the cultural produce of Africa, both indigenous and colonial. Delta farm is a rich source of Africana. This is due partly to the coincidence that the first European to settle here (circa 1690) built his homestead directly over a site that stone-age toolmakers had settled some 6,000 years before.
- Cape Jazz Shiraz: a real party wine and something very different – a shiraz that is low in alcohol but full of celebratory fizz! It is bottled immediately after the harvest, especially for the annual Franschhoek Oefees (Harvest Festival) which is hosted by Solms-Delta.
- Langarm: a red blend of Pinotage, Touriga Nacional, Tannat, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon and Primitivo. Blending Pinotage with these Southern European red varieties produces a classic ‘Cape blend’ with an innovative twist. Langarm (’straight-arm’) captures the mood of the Cape at the end of a long working week. It can be danced to just about any kind of music, but ‘Boeremusiek’ is definitely best. We dance it with our arms extended like melodramatic windsurfers. Outsiders find it comical, but that is only until they have tried it
- Vastrap: a white wine blend of Chenin blanc, Clairette blanche and Semillon. Vastrap ['trample'] music unites Khoesan trance-dance with Dutch folk music. Played on anything: concertinas, home-made violins, banjos and ‘blik-kitaars’. The traditional excuse for a Vastrap party was the trampling of a newly laid cow-dung floor, but the ancestors are said to have preferred the open air.
Fyndraai Restaurant
We headed the Fyndraai Restaurant to announce our arrival and were guided down to the riverside forest to collect our picnic basket. A short later, we settled on the banks of the river and tucked into our picnic fare which was all uniquely South African.
The picnic came fully kitted with a blanket as well as a bottle of water and a bottle of wine. For R135 per person I thought that was exceptional value for money! We had such a lazy afternoon and I have to admit that I even fell asleep in the sun for 20 minutes while my hubby absorbed the peace and tranquility of the spot.
Franschhoek Affair and Pairings Weekened
Our recent visit to Solms Delta was for the Franschhoek Affair and Franschhoek Pairings weekend (25-27 June 2010). This time we ate at Fyndraai Restaurant and had a chance to sample chef Shaun Schoeman’s delectable Cape cuisine paired with the estate wines. The food was a fusion of traditional Cape cuisines ( indigenous, slave and settler) cooked with produce from the culinary garden. We had a brilliant lunch and I can’t recommend it enough to others!
Solms Delta Tours
I have not had the privilege to attend their Farm Tours but the following are available:
• History and Archaeology Tour
• Cape Food and Wine Pairing Tour
• Vineyards, Cellar and Wine Tour
• Social History and Wine Tour
• Cape Music and Wine Tour
• Natural Heritage and Wine Tour
Giving Back
The part that I admire most about this wine farm is that it gives back to the local community. Solms-Delta is known as one of the country’s most progressive wine estates - and one that generates real results.
When Mark Solms took over the Delta farm, he began by convincing the farm’s virtually indentured tenants that his intentions to institute land reforms were genuine. In 2005, the Solms family established the Wijn de Caab Trust to benefit the 200 historically disadvantaged residents and employees of the Solms-Delta wine estate. He then persuaded long-time friend, philanthropist Richard Astor, scion of a celebrated Anglo-American family, to buy the neighbouring farm, in order to increase the estate’s development capital. Solms and Astor, in an unprecedented move, then both put their farms up as collateral so that a third, adjoining farm could be purchased by the workers.
The Wijn de Caab Trust now has a 33% equity stake in Solms-Delta, and the profit from wine sales has been used to build and refurbish decent and comfortable homes for the workers and their families, create recreational facilities, and provide myriad other social services (including private education and healthcare) that benefit all. Every employee now has an interest in making Solms-Delta a success.
With the Wijn de Caab Trust solely benefiting their employees and farm residents, Solms and Astor then turned to the Franschhoek Valley and broader Cape Winelands district. In 2007, the two families established the privately funded Delta Trust, which seeks to facilitate an inclusive sense of community through educational, cultural, sporting and social programmes.
Great for the whole family
My husband and I are already planning our next visit …. and this time we will be taking our kids along.
Solms Delta is very child friendly with its riverside forest where kids can play around and splash in the pools on a hot summer’s day. The kids also have a picnic option or they can join their parents for more elegant dining in Fyndraai Restaurant with a special Children’s Menu. Baby changing facilities are provided at the restaurant.
For more information:
- Website: www.solms-delta.co.za
- Tel: 021 – 874 3937
- Physical Address: Delta Road - Off the R45 - Groot Drakenstein - Franschhoek Valley
Portfolio Collection offers a delightful selection of Franschhoek B&Bs, guest houses, country homes and self catering accommodations in this beautiful corner of the Cape Winelands.
Peruse our website www.portfoliocollection.com or contact Portfolio for your Franschhoek accommodation needs.
Images: Most images provided and taken by Mischa Gross. Remainder from the Solms Delta website and the Portfolio Collection website.
