Lesley Charnock to host another workshop

Lesley Charnock recently hosted a landscape painting workshop in the Riebeek Valley, it was an overwhelming success and will be followed by another one at the end of October. There are still limited spaces available so should you be interested please contact Lesley for details. Lesley very kindly sent me these wonderful comments from ‘students’ to share.

Dearest Les,

The days I spent last week in Riebeek Kasteel were magic! I will long remember with gratitude and pleasure this Plein Air Workshop, which you planned so meticulously and executed with such positive energy and passion. Each one of us had your full attention when we needed it.

Our luxurious accommodation, tasty, sumptuous meals, the places we shared them and the outdoor painting venues, were all excellent. For me it was also a time when I learnt a great deal, made new friends and cemented old friendships. It was a special group of really lovely people and the warmth and laughter we shared will always be a part of this treasured memory.

As I work towards that goal of 1000 plein air paintings, I trust I will not forget the lessons learned, nor the inspiration which sprang from this wonderful experience, in such a beautiful part of our country.

Your passion and dedication will continue to inspire all of us fortunate enough to know you.

A big thank you and an even bigger hug!

With love, Wynnie.

Dear Lesley,
I have excellent memories of the workshop you organised. You put so much thought and hard work in it even before it starts and that is one reason for its success. The other one is that you are such a caring person and so dedicated to every participant.
Your expertise with painting is evident and I definitely picked up some (potential) new skills. Clay is more my medium then painting but it is something new and I love playing with colour. Never too old to learn.
The job now is to get rid of the extra kg after the inspiring food we had!
Enjoy your Italy trip and take it at your own pace!

With love, Tineke

Hi Les

I just had to write to tell you how much I enjoyed the workshop!!! I learned so much & gained a lot of confidence to go out there & paint.

I can't wait to get out there again. I made some lovely new artist friends & we had so much fun. I shall have to diet for the next month to counteract for all the delicious food we ate!!!

Thankyou so much. Put my name down for the next one!

All the best

Love

Noeline

Dear Les,

Just a not to say 'thank you ' again for an inspirational and 'fun' workshop.

I am in awe of all the wonderful organization and all the trouble you took to make everything work so smoothly, which it most certainly did.
We all worked our 'buts off", but what fun we had during the whole workshop.

I will admit that it took me a few days to recover !!
Now I am having fun trying to improve what I did ? Anyway I learnt so much !

Thank you again,

Love June

Dear Lesley

I learnt SO much in the 4 days of intensive painting under your guidance. Riebeeck-Kasteel is a charming town and who would have thought we would have such excellent food

(and wine) along the way? Hats off to you for an excellent workshop. I would recommend this to anyone interested in plein-air painting, you certainly get your money's worth!

Many, many thanks.

Hi Les

The week at RBK was extremely rewarding & I just wanted to say thank you. The art instruction was so good, & I learned a huge amount ( coming of course off a very low base, the learning curve is steep)

But also the company was fun & stimulating, & the meals were great, if too good, actually, I ate far too much.

So thanks for your excellent organisation. I know it doesnt just happen.

Once again local cellars achieve top honours

Allesverloren’s Fine Old Vintage 2008 (previously known a Allesverloren Port) and Riebeek Cellars’ Kasteelberg Shiraz 2010 both received gold medals at the recently held Michelangelo International Wine Awards.

The following wines by local cellars also received silver medals: Het Vlock Casteel Cabernet, Sauvignon 2010, Het Vlock Casteel Merlot 2010, Riebeek Cellars Kasteelberg Chenin Blanc 2010 and Riebeek Cellars Kasteelberg Shiraz 2011.

The Swartland Wine Route comes to Kirstenbosh

The varied Santam Swartland Wine and Olive Route will be at their now annual Country Market taking place at the Stone Cottages at Kirstenbosch on Saturday 6 October. The Country Market offers you a hint of what to expect on this remarkable Wine Tourism Route and introduces you to the amiable and colourful people of the area.

From Malmesbury to Piketberg in the North, the route includes the Paardeberg vineyards and the celebrated vineyards of the Riebeek Valley and encompasses 23 vineyards in total all with their own unique flair.

The market is a great destination for the whole family with not only wine being available, but olives and produce from the area as well. It’s a wonderful opportunity to meet some of the more interesting producers from the region and taste their exceptional wines. Entrance is free or R30 per person for a glass and tasting vouchers, for more information contact 022 487 1133/swartlandinfo@westc.co.za.

Beautiful weddings at Café Felix

If you type in Café Felix on Google you will be inundated with photographer's websites and blogs filled with stunning images of past weddings at Café Felix. We at Shiraz Estate are very lucky to host so many of these wedding guests and since wedding season is in full swing I thought I'd share just some of these lovely celebrations.



See more of this wedding



See more of this wedding



See more of this wedding

See more of this wedding

See more of this wedding

See more of this wedding

Valley looks forward to Shiraz and Art Weekend 2012



The Riebeek Valley is definitely a creative place and boasts a large number of not only nationally but internationally renowned artists who call it home. Unlike many other festivals the Shiraz and Art, as it is locally known, does not draw tens of thousands of visitors but rather a select number of art lovers making it an ideal opportunity to visit. In addition to art exhibitions and performances, there are several markets on the go and most of the restaurants have Shiraz inspired menus on offer as well as excellent winelists. Being only an hours drive from Cape Town the Valley is the perfect place to explore this coming weekend.

Muzick Project

http://youtu.be/gaqvrdX32Eg 

With the Shiraz and Arts Weekend taking place in the Riebeek Valley on the last weekend of September it's the perfect time to talk about some of our local talent and these two are local as well as talented. John Harris of Muzick Project very kindly sent me the following information as well as the wonderful photo of him and Werner Denner performing at Shiraz Estate recently.

Muzick Project was formed for basically one reason.

To get what joy we can get by sharing our craft and passion with as many fellow musicians and audiences as possible.

It has started on a small scale by musicians for musicians and is intended to grow and grow and  grow……….. !

Apart from sit down shows, we cater for all corporate functions, launches, lunches and weddings and are able to provide an extremely varied program tailored to any organizers needs.

We can be reached at www.muzickproject.com

John Harris and Werner Denner performing at Shiraz Estate

The Darling Wildflower Show 2012

Images courtesy www.darlingwildflowers.co.za/show.htm

The Darling Wildflower Show takes place this weekend and with the weather forecast looking beautiful for the duration of this yearly event it is the ideal opportunity to visit the district which represents approximately 1200 species of wildflower.

Images courtesy www.darlingwildflowers.co.za/show.htm

The event takes place at the Darling Sports Club and R30 entrance includes entry to the landscaped as well as a ride on a tractor drawn wagon to see the Oude Post Wetland, which is only  accessible during the show.

Images courtesy www.darlingwildflowers.co.za/show.htm

Various food and refreshment stalls are available, but Darling is a stone’s throw from the Riebeek Valley with its selection of eateries and with Groenrivier Slow Food and Craft Market taking place on Sunday, why not make an entire day of it?

Images courtesy www.darlingwildflowers.co.za/show.htm

Images courtesy www.darlingwildflowers.co.za/show.htm

For more information:

Tel: 084 916 1111

darlingwfs@telkomsa.net

Images courtesy www.darlingwildflowers.co.za/show.htm

Local Cellars excel at Swartland Young Wine Show

Riebeek West’s, Pulpit Rock, walked away with the laurels at this year’s Swartland Young Wine Show. The cellar won three trophies including the sought after ABSA trophy for Swartland’s Champion Wine.

In characteristic fashion Riebeek Cellars walked away with no less than four trophies including those for Champion Dry White and Champion Shiraz.

To find out more about the Santam Swartland Wine and Olive Route, or to plan your next tasting visit www.swartlandwineroute.co.za.

Picture courtesy
www.swartlandwineroute.co.za.





Lesley Charnock's work now available at The Gallery

Lesley Charnock, renowned Cape Town landscape artist, now has work available to view and buy at The Gallery in Main Street, Riebeek Kasteel. Lesley will be joining us later in September to host a four day landscape painting workshop at Shiraz Estate.
For more information on the artist and her work visit http://www.lesleycharnock.com/
 

Local Olive Oil excels at SA Olive Awards.

Ian Carnegie with his award winning oil
Photo Courtesy Sue Pugh - Purple People Marketing

Good Green Oil, produced by Indigo Ridge, a family run farm adjacent to Riebeek Kasteel won Gold at the SA Olive Awards held in Paarl on 23^rd August 2012.

The oil won in the Medium category. The oils are adjudicated for their tastes and bouquets in Delicate, Medium and Intense categories.

This is the third award the farm has won and owner Ian Carnegie ascribes the farm’s success to the dedication of his staff, sound farming methods and the diversity of olive trees grown. Good Green Oil is available in Riebeek Kasteel at a number of hand-picked outlets.  Indigo Ridge can be contacted on 084 583 1883 or info@indigoridge.co.za

Het Vlock Casteel

Next up on the list of must sees in the Riebeek Valley is Het Vlock Casteel which is the first stop on the right as you drive into Church Street. Het Vlock Casteel’s shop comes with a warning ‘come armed with cash or credit cards’ as you will want to stock up on some seriously scrumptious treats. Homemade dessert toppings, jams, chutney’s, olives, oils and much more are all available to taste while being assisted by highly competent staff – many of whom have been on the farm their whole lives and are actively involved in production.

Môrester, the farm on which Het Vlock Casteel is situated, has been in the Vlock family since 1958 and in addition to olives grows approximately 23 cultivars of grapes mainly for the export market. They also make wine including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc.

The farm runs grape tours from end December to end March which literally cover the whole process from vineyard to pack house and offer the whole family an authentic farm experience. Het Vlock really has something for everyone and is well worth a visit whether you are a wine enthusiast, an olive lover or are simply looking for a bit of retail therapy.

For more info on grape tours and wine and olive oil tasting visit www.hetvlockcasteel.co.za or contact 022 448 1488

Tulbagh Spring Arts Festival

This is definitely one not to be missed, The Tulbagh Spring Arts Festival. Taking place from the 24-26 August 2012, the festival celebrates arts in all forms and corresponds with the appearance of the spring wildflowers.

Abundance is this year’s festival theme with the line-up of events including choral and classical performances, all types of visual, painted and graphic art and land art featuring stimulating outdoor installations.

The Riebeek Valley is the perfect spot to make your base for a festival meander, being literally a stone’s throw from Tulbagh which in all likelihood is fully booked.

For more information on highlights have a look at the Facebook page

http://www.facebook.com/tulbaghspringartsfestival or contact Jayson Clark on 023 230 11 71.

Valley Olympian sends photos and feedback

Our very own Riebeek Valley Olympian, Ashleigh Moolman Pasio, who incidentally was married at Café Felix two years ago, sent a huge thank you to everyone for the support. She also sent some fabulous images and her impressions of what she describes as a 'somewhat surreal' experience.

The Olympic Village is 'a world of its own' and has everything including doctors, dentists and hairdressers. The food hall is apparently huge and caters for all tastes, she describes dining next to the likes of lleyton Hewitt and Sir Chris Hoy. 

Team South Africa comprised 125 athletes and stayed in an apartment block called 'Heritage' which they shared with Spain and the Dominican Republic.

'The height of excitement, hard work and commitment, and the height of disappointment, all in the space of 4 hours!',is how Ashleigh describes her Road Race experience, after finishing 16 th she says she is proud of their efforts.

 Ashleigh participated in the Time Trial as well in which she finished 24th

Thank you to Ashleigh for these wonderful images which really give a sense of The Games.

Riebeek Valley wines warmly received in Windhoek

The Valley’s very own Riebeek Cellars and Kloovenburg participated in the Namibia Expo recently in Windhoek. As could be expected wines from the region were very warmly received. Pictured below are Eric Saayman (Riebeek Cellars winner of last year’s General Smuts trophy for his Kasteelberg Viognier), Jolene Janse van Rensburg (Santam Swartland Wine- & Olive Route) and Stephan Basson (Babylon’s Peak Private Cellar).



Courtesy http://www.swartlandwineandolives.co.za/



Spring definitely on its way to the Swartland and West Coast region



Courtesy www.ctru.co.za



August is a beautiful time to visit the Swartland region. Wherever you look there are scenes of early spring and there is definitely a renewed energy in the air after the winter cold. From mid-August Burgherspost Nature Reserve will be hosting flower game drives leaving from Cloof near Darling and the Kleenex Wild Flower Hotline is up and running to identify flower hotspots in the area. There is no need to pay to see wild flowers though as they are busy blossoming everywhere and The Riebeek Valley is the perfect place to break your journey, being a stone’s throw from all the wild flower hotspots. Be warned though, September is often too late so make a plan to see the flowers in August.

Courtesy www.kontrei.co.za

Rebecca Solomon

Well worth a visit

The weather seems to be improving (I’m crossing my fingers as I type that) and the Swartland scenery is utterly spectacular at present with fields of golden canola in bloom and everything lush and green after the rains. It is a wonderful time to take a leisurely drive and explore some of the gems that the Riebeek Valley has achieved recognition for.

One such gem is Kloovenburg, stretching along the lower slopes of Kasteelberg (Castle Mountain). It is a wonderful place to start your foray into the Riebeek Valley, being the first farm on your left as you pass over the Bothmaskloof Pass before turning into Church Street – literally the gateway to the Valley.

Kloovenburg was planted with grapes in the 18^th century, but it wasn’t until 1998 that Pieter du Toit produced the first Shiraz on the farm. This was the first of many successful wines and later vintages have won numerous top awards.

A visit to the farm is a delight and you’ll be treated with warmth and hospitality. Kloovenburg is not only known for its wines but also a range of olive products ranging from oils and tapenades to body butters and shower gels.  Their annual Christmas Market Day has become fixture on the Cape Town Calendar and is well worth a visit to stock up on some delicious wines, olives and other homemade goodies for the festive season. For more information on opening and tasting times or the hiking trails please contact info@kloovenburg.com

Busy weekend ahead for Riebeek Valley

The weekend of 28 and 29 July promises to be an activity filled one in the Riebeek Valley.  First up we have the PPC Riebeeck Bergmarathon on Saturday 28 July, starting and finishing at the PPC Cement Plant in Riebeek West. The Riebeek Valley Country Fair will be held at the cement plant on that Saturday, so why not come and browse and support the runners at the same time? The Gallery in Riebeek Kasteel will be playing host to demonstrations by Mike Hillier’s cement sculpture students between 10 am and 3 pm, this is an absolute must see for anybody interested in art and sculpture.

Courtesy http://www.ppc.co.za/ Runners embark on the marathon



A cement sculpture by one of Mike Hillier's students



Courtesy of Groenrivier - Enjoying the market!

Sunday 29 sees the return, after a winter break, of the Groenrivier Slow Food Market. Taking place between 12pm and 4pm, the market includes kids’ entertainment, live music, loads of delicious things to buy, good local wine, handmade goods and an excellent opportunity to sit back and relax in a stunning setting for a few hours.



Courtesy of Groenrivier - Live entertainment



Courtesy of Groenrivier-Delicious things to try and buy

Courtesy of Groenrivier - a little bit of retail therapy 

The Wine Kollective

When visiting the Riebeek Valley make absolutely sure that you schedule a stop at The Wine Kollective, which is without a doubt one of the most interesting wine shops you’ll ever visit. Owned by Anton Espost, who opened the shop in 2008, it boasts a range of local (“within a two hour donkey ride of Riebeek Kasteel”) wines - some of which you’ve probably never heard of.

We are very fortunate in this area to be surrounded by some of the best vineyards in the country that have yielded wines which are innovative and receiving international recognition. You’ll find the well-known likes of Sadie Family Wines, Badenhorst Family Wines and Mullineux Family Wines in the shop and then some lesser known gems such as Nativo, Lammershoek, Nuweland and Dragonridge.  Wines are available at cellar door prices and can be delivered anywhere in the country. Wine tasting is free on weekends so it’s probably best to phone ahead to book a slot.

Courtesy http://www.thewinekollective.co.za/

Swartland Revolution 2012

Natural Light Photography

One of the most popular events on the local annual calendar is The Swartland Revolution. Now entering its third year it takes place this year on 9 and 10 November 2012. It seems a bit ridiculous to mention this so far in advance, however I’ve heard via the official Revolution Facebook page that tickets are already sold out for the main event which leaves the Swartland Independent Street Party on Saturday 10 November. Members of the public are able to meet the 16 Swartland Independent Winemakers and taste to their hearts content while enjoying the ambience of the Valley and the Revolution. For those who are looking for a spot of retail therapy there will be revolutionary merchandise available (I’m still bitter over missing out on the fabulous satchels last year), wine at cellar door prices and some delicious food. Music and an after party are apparently planned as well.  

Natural Light Photography

If you’re not in the mood for partying the night away there are a host of local restaurants to enjoy including Café Felix which received very favourable comments on Twitter from Cape Town social networker extraordinaire Dax Villanueva at last year’s Revolution.

Natural Light Photography