Mention Wellington to most people, and you’ll get one of three responses: “Shoo, that’s doer-and-gone, hey!” “Better known as ‘Smellington’, ha, ha…”; and, “I hear it gets pretty hot there”.
But, in its beautiful Boland valley 45 minutes from Cape Town, Wellington is not far, and the smelly tannery moved some years ago.
Its warm summers and cool, wet winters are perfect for growing fruit, and the valley’s bountiful harvest includes guavas, avocados, mangoes, olives, figs, peaches, apricots and table grapes.
Wellington is SA’s primary manufacturer of dried fruit, and organic produce is a burgeoning business there. The indigenous medicinal herb, buchu, is also big business.
And, the valley is the “cradle” of the South African wine industry, with 28 nurseries propagating over 85 percent of the country’s grafted, Phylloxera-resistant vine cuttings, locally known as “stokkies”.
Wellingtonians claim that great wines are not just born but are raised in their valley. This is no idle boast, for Wellington has emerged as a trendsetter on the wine scene, and is an exciting place to visit.
Compared to its slicker, more sophisticated neighbours like Paarl and Franschhoek, Wellington is seen by some as a sleepy Plattelandse dorpie, perhaps because it was the “Last Outpost” of the Cape Colony, beyond which only the doughtiest explorers ventured.
Once populated by San hunters and Khoi pastoralists, the valley nestling between the verdant Groenberg and the soaring purple folds of the Hawequa mountains was discovered in 1657 by a bailiff sent from the Castle to barter cattle. He called it the Limietvallei (Boundary Valley).
The earliest farms were granted to Dutch free burghers in 1687. Twelve years later, French Huguenots settled the area they named Val du Charron (Wagonmakers’ Valley), which later evolved into the Dutch Wagenmakersvallei.
The town of Wellington, which arose around the landmark Dutch Reformed Moederkerk, was proclaimed in 1840 to honour the English duke who trounced Napoleon at Waterloo.
In 1853, the spectacular Bain’s Kloof Pass became the official “Gateway to the North” and the diamond and gold fields. Ten years later, the Cape Town to Wellington railway transformed the rural hamlet into a bustling terminus. For several decades, Wellington was a boomtown, along with Paarl, the “Detroit” of wagon-manufacture in the southern hemisphere, and known for leather-tanning, grain-milling, dried fruit, jam, pork and tobacco.
In 1907, Bovlei co-operative winery was founded, later followed by the now-amalgamated Wamakersvallei and Wellington cellars.
Wine farming flourished, and today Wellington’s compact wine route includes 30 estates and wineries, from boutique to bulk producers. Having been awarded SA Terroir Top Wine Area in 2010 (and placed second last year), the former backwater has evolved into one of SA’s most celebrated wine districts.
Wellington also boasts an artisanal, potstill brandy route, making premium, handcrafted spirits. It is the birthplace of SA’s only organic port, grappa, absinthe, vodka, gin and limoncello, and the first indigenous grain whisky, so visitors to the sixth annual Wellington Wine Harvest Festival next weekend will be spoilt for choice.
Fruit, vegetables, herbs, honey, nuts, mushrooms, pork, venison, goats’ milk cheeses and genuine buffalo mozzarella provide chefs at gourmet restaurants like The Stone Kitchen and Oude Wellington with abundant local produce from which to create sensational seasonal dishes.
Set amid stunning scenery and graced with Cape Dutch homesteads, the small town is steeped in heritage. A prominent educational and theological centre, it is a treasure trove of historic, architectural gems and national monuments, including SA’s most southerly Anglo-Boer War blockhouse.
Beyond the village, guided wine-walks and horse-trails meander through farmland and fynbos; Bain’s Kloof Pass and the Limietberg Nature Reserve offer unsurpassed vistas and rare, indigenous flora and fauna, and the Agter-Groenberg incorporates the largest remaining tract of pristine renosterveld, where game drives on Bontebok Ridge Reserve afford an opportunity to see endemic buck and birds in their natural habitat.
If you’ve had enough dop and scenery, Wellington’s rich in culture too; the crucible of Afrikaans language and literature, it is a haven for contemporary artists, actors, writers and musicians. The Sonnenbergs of Diemersfontein are nurturing local opera, while the Breytenbach Centre and funky, intimate Bôrdienghuis Theatre provide a multi-disciplinary creative platform for performers, including sons of Wellington Koos Kombuis and Valiant Swart.
Wellington is also the only place outside Cape Town where, every January, the infectious ghoema rhythm and strident brass of the valley’s Klopse troupes resonate from the Boland Stadium, during the minstrel carnival competition.
Just outside town, Chippa’s Place in Mbekweni township offers visitors a taste of traditional Xhosa fare and entertainment.
There are many places to stay, from five-star Grand Dédale, to four-star 5 Mountains Lodge & Spa and three-star Cummings House, as well as guesthouses and B&Bs. Wellington also boasts a world-class conference and wedding venue, Kleinevalleij. - Weekend Argus