Stellenbosch – Drinking and driving is frowned upon, and rightly so.
But no one said anything about not drinking and gliding.
So when you visit Spier wine estate, be it to blend wines, have a picnic or any of the other host of activities on offer, make like us and do something I’ve always wanted to try: ride a Segway.
It’s a two-wheeled, self-balancing, battery-powered electric vehicle and a leader in green transportation – which makes it quite fitting as an activity at Spier, which is committed to the environment, employs a variety of eco-friendly farming methods, and is renowned for its responsible tourism approach.
Spier is a member of the Biodiversity & Wine Initiative, and the cellar has ISO 22000 certification, is Fair Trade accredited, organically certified, and follows the Integrated Production of Wine criteria.
Among its initiatives is reducing water usage; 100 percent of Spier’s wastewater and more than 80 percent of its solid waste is recycled.
Not every visitor to the farm who is there to drink wine, have a picnic on the lawns or a meal at Eight will know this, but if you do a Segway tour you not only get to have tons of fun wheeling around the vineyards, but also get an education from an informed guide.
I am a firm believer that anything which requires the signing of an indemnity form is going to be good. Even more so if you are forced to wear a silly hat or unflattering protective gear. In this case, it was just the form and the hat.
You get a brief training session at the clubhouse to master the Segway, which is quite easy to do, and then it’s off around the farm.
We were guided by Wonga Luphalule, who made sure we didn’t do anything reckless or fall in ditches, and stopped at intervals to explain different parts of the farm, like the thousands of laying chickens, and the aforementioned water recycling operation.
We also paused to taste some merlot off the vine, and took as many photographs as we wanted.
Once we were comfortable on the Segways, Luphalule adjusted their speed and we were able to hurtle along at up to 20km/h. Oh, the exhilaration!
It’s super-duper fun and highly recommended. You can do a one- or two-hour tour, and I believe if you book for a certain time of the afternoon there is a bottle of wine involved. Make sure you ask about that.
Weekend Argus
Spier is on the R310 Baden Powell Road, Stellenbosch. Call 021 809 1100, or visit www.spier.co.za.