I’m a sucker for a picnic. Sunshine, wine and simple foods combine to form the most delicious of experiences. Alas, Atlanta’s summers tend to be too hot for outdoor dining, so we have just a small window of spring and fall to enjoy dining al fresco (and this year it seemed to rain throughout the fall, except for our wedding weekend!). So I was all too happy to indulge my picnic fantasies in South Africa’s wine country.
Our trusty 2010 Platter Guide (the definitive guide to South African wines) told us that Kaapzicht Winery had a picnic area, so we picked up two bacon sandwiches and a charcuterie platter at Bread and Wine, a popular Winelands lunch spot. When we arrived, we started to set up at the picnic table by their tasting room, but the winemaker spotted us and recommended we check out their vineyard picnic area. After some wrong turns and a bit of off-roading, we wound our way up to the top of their vineyard. It turns out that Kaapzicht is Afrikaans for Cape View, and that’s exactly what we found – we could see all the way to Cape Town.
Better yet, we were all alone, save a couple nearby vineyard workers. We set out our $5 bottle of Kaapzicht rose, and savored our bacon sandwiches, olives and meat platter. Never has a bacon sandwich tasted so wonderful. Who knew it combined perfectly with rose?
Mr. AT turned to me and said this is what it’s all about. And I agree – a gorgeous perch, simple but delicious foods and wine, and my honey, there is truly nothing else I could ask for. Sigh…if only we could indulge in this a bit more often. But for that one afternoon, we lingered over our wine, ate with our hands and enjoyed a truly romantic meal. Heaven!
