It wasn’t only going to be food and wine during our trip around South Africa, since we felt that in this country, a safari should definitely be part of the experience. We actually did two, at Blaauwbosch and at Kariega Game Reserve. And both game reserves, it must be said, fully deserve their five star statuses, although they’re completely different in their approach and the feeling you take home from them.

What they have in common is a superb level of service, very attentive without being obtrusive, wonderful and luxurious lodges, stunning views, and a highly skilled, easy-going staff. We were fortunate to have two fantastic rangers at our safaris, which in our opinion really does make a difference when you’re staying at a game reserve. Not only because of the amount of time you spend on game drives, and you want to see and learn as much as possible about the animals in the area, but the social element in between really is just as important.

At Blaauwbosch, Tyrone was our ranger; experienced, patient, and clearly hugely enthusiastic and passionate when it comes to the animals and the surroundings. And the exact same words can be used when describing Jo Oliver, our English-born ranger at Kariega, who definitely played a big part in the all-round experience for us as well.

The main difference between the two game reserves originates from something completely different, and crazy as it may sound, it has to do with the landscape and density of animals. Kariega clearly has the upper hand here, so the guarantees you have in seeing a huge variety of animals is a lot bigger here. However, as fun as that may sound, there’s something to be said for the element of search you encounter at Blaauwbosch. The excitement of actually finding wild game due to your own endeavours, assisted by an experienced ranger and tracker, all in very rough terrain, and discussing your findings over a great bottle of wine during a gorgeous sunset.

Kariega is the lusher and more accessible reserve, with a huge range of different animal species almost up to the point you can see them from the front porch of your lodge. Nothing wrong with that, and a definite must for the wildlife enthusiast, but with the experience at Blaauwbosch it felt a little ‘too easy’ to us sometimes. On the other hand, would we have done the safaris in a different order, our sentiments may have been entirely different.

No negative opinions about either reserve therefore, because we had a truly wonderful time at both Blaauwbosch and Kariega. Among others, we had a chance to see two cheetah families on a combined hunt for springbok, we saw giraffes and wildebeest cantering across the plains, rhinos and hippos slowly grazing or taking their afternoon naps, and maybe most impressively, had various elephant encounters. Our meeting with an elephant family at sunset was one of the most impressive experiences, and really brought across the true African outdoor feeling.

And coming back to our main theme of the trip, it wasn’t too shabby on a gastronomic level at these two game reserves either. Both have stocked wine cellars (of which we enjoyed wines from renowned estates like Boschendal, Boekenhoutskloof and Forrester Meinert) and great game dishes for dinner. You will not be disappointed with the quality during breakfast or high teas either, so you are really well catered for in all respects during your stay at these reserves. Compliments to the chefs and kitchen staff are therefore truly deserved.

Summarizing, for us it has been a truly majestic experience to spend a total of 4 days at these game reserves, and we would like to thank all the staff for their wonderful service and hospitality. A huge recommendation therefore, if you’re ever in the South African Karoo; visit Blaauwbosch and/or Kariega and be amazed yourself.

Maurice van Bussel

On July 24, we were guests at what has been, and still is, one of our favourite South African wine estates for the last five years or so, De Toren (named after the prominent tower that overlooks the estate). The only reason for it being only five years of adoration has to do with the fact that, unfortunately, we didn’t come across this wine earlier. In Holland, De Toren has had its admirers amongst the best wine sellers and sommeliers (especially at Michelin star level) for a little while longer, some of which date back to the first vintage in 1999. And that’s not surprising, if you look at all the effort and eye to detail that goes into the making of each bottle of wine.

Let me briefly elaborate on that. At De Toren, director Emil den Dulk and winemaker Albie Koch, already started with a clear focus at the very beginning of the process. The quality and characteristics of the soil and each specific terroir was researched when planting the vines, in order to get the very best out of each type of grape. And there are many at De Toren, because it not only grows Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot (the classic Bordeaux grapes), but Malbec and Petit Verdot as well.

When the time is right, all different varieties of grapes are then harvested separately (hand-picked, screened for colour and underdevelopment, and de-stemmed), fermented separately and put in casks separately. So without exception, the entire process is treated with the utmost care and attention. By the way, this method was not chosen for the purpose of making a cepage wine (because they don’t), but because they are looking for the definitive and highest quality ingredients for their blends.

At De Toren they actually make two. First of all, there’s the ‘De Toren Z’ and in addition to that, their flagship wine, the ‘Fusion V’, in which all five grapes of the estate are featured. Different types of oak are used for different grapes, the character of the grapes while maturing is then assessed and marked, and only after this process the experts will look at what will be the best possible blend for this vintage.

Is the blend then different every single year, you may ask? Yes, it is. And there’s plenty of additional effort involved in creating this ultimate blend. Different samples will be constructed, cuvees of previous years are added for comparison, and a range of up to twenty different options will be put forward to a highly experienced panel of sommeliers, wine makers and gourmands. Only after this meticulous process of tasting and ranking, one sample will be chosen, and this will then be the blend that’s launched onto the market. Sounds like a lengthy, and maybe even tedious, process? It just might. But it’s also the reason that the wines of De Toren have such an impressive reputation, and taste that good.

We feel very fortunate to have already tried the ’01, ’03, ’04, and ’05 vintages of their Fusion V, and both the ’04 and ’06 of the ‘De Toren Z’. All these wines have been of an exceptional quality (although our favourite is still the Fusion V ’05), and we are not the only ones to acknowledge this. Platter, Parker, Wine Spectator, all have given high marks to De Toren, so there’s plenty of evidence that Den Dulk and Koch clearly know what they’re doing. The maiden vintage of 1999 even got 90 Parker points, something which is still considered a unique achievement in South Africa and beyond.

We are definitely looking forward to the wines to come, and pay special attention to the 2008 vintage, because we had a chance to visit the estate when this cuvee was being developed. But, if there’s anyone who still has a bottle of their 1999 Fusion V stashed away in some dusky cellar, I might just give up my right arm to try one of those. De Toren has and always will be one of our favourite South African wines, and we are truly thankful for the chance to visit this wonderful estate during our culinary tour of The Cape.

Maurice van Bussel