Cape Town - What to do on a winter Sunday in August?
There are the chores and things to do round the house – or there are a bunch of places where one can go to while away the day. Just up the mountain from us, in fact, there is Groot Constantia. No contest, really.
The wine estate marked its 330th anniversary in July, and then moved into a celebration of Women's Month with a partnership with Mangwanani Spa – which means cut-price spa treatments at the estate every Saturday and Sunday this month.
The estate's public relations people invited me and a friend to try the spa treatment, a cellar tour and a wine and chocolate pairing – the idea being a set of sensory experiences.
Generally, I'm not in favour of marking a month about serious issues by doing pampering sessions but decided to keep an open mind and go with the flow. Besides, they had mentioned chocolate... and wine.
I also subverted the theme a little and took my husband.
First, we repaired to the pop-up spa ( Mangwanani has permanent homes at various locations countrywide) on a mezzanine platform above the deli at Simon's restaurant.
Here, screened off from the restaurant, you can get foot massages, hand treatments, manicures and acupuncture treatments from 10am to 4pm on weekends throughout August.
Seated in chairs facing a gorgeous view of the vineyards and mountains beyond, we both had a head, neck and shoulder massage. I was offered a choice of massage oils, and took the one earmarked for nurturing.
The massage was extremely relaxing and just right for a day of experiences – not too long, and very restorative. Bob had been a little nervous at the prospect of a spa and a massage – but said that he had enjoyed it (and now knew what women get up to in spas. Not all that much, actually).
My political sensibilities were assuaged a little by learning that Mangwanani focuses on employing rural women and provides them with training and accredited qualifications. And Groot Constantia say they have a “long history with the empowerment of women.”
In 1724 Groot Constantia was owned by Anna de Koningh - the first female owner of Groot Constantia when her husband, Oloff Bergh, died. Anna, who was born a slave, rose to become a free and prosperous woman who stood out as a character in early Cape society.”
Anna wouldn't recognise the place, I thought, as we joined the 1pm cellar tour, which takes you through the full wine-making production line, looking at white, red and sparkling.
We found the tour interesting and at 30 minutes, just long enough to keep us engaged. Personally, I would have liked a bit more information about the history of wine at the estate, but the tourists in the group seemed really interested.
We peeled off from the wine tasting which you can do at the end of the cellar tour and collected our packs of chocolate at the front desk.
The pack contains samples of five different kinds of chocolate, specially made to go with specific Constantia wines.
The sales staff in the tasting room provide you with the relevant glasses of wine and some prior instructions. Along with an information sheet, you can go through the tasting at your own pace – which, for us, added to the charm.
The idea is to take a lingering sip of wine, making sure you get a full taste of the liquid. Then you eat the chocolate, making sure it spreads around your mouth. Then you taste the wine again and see how the flavours change or combine with the chocolate. They didn't say you should then go on to eat all the chocolate, and drink all the wine, but that's what I did anyway.
There are two white chocolates to go with a 2014 Sauvignon Blanc and a 2014 Chardonnay, and three darker milk chocolates to go with a 2013 Pinotage, a 2013 Shiraz and the 2012 Goeverneurs Reserve.
For us the stand-out pairing was the pinotage with its accompanying blackberry milk chocolate – the two together would make an outstanding end to a dinner party (and in fact, I went back and bought a bottle of the pinotage and a slab of chocolate for just that purpose).
The other stand-out taste was the Goeverneurs Reserve – at R306 a bottle this is not our usual fare and the wine itself was marvellous. It didn't really need the Morello cherry tobacco dark chocolate but the pairing made a wonderful end to an entrancing experience.
We were given a complimentary taste of Cape Ruby 2013 (this is not usually part of the wine and chocolate pairing) and took our glasses outside into the soft spring (well, a woman can hope!) afternoon.
As promised by the hotel the succession of experiences added up to a feast for the senses, and we were so seduced that we wandered down to Simon's and had another glass of wine.
A much better way to spend a Sunday than doing chores.
WHAT IT ALL COSTS
* At the Mangwanani “pop up” spa, massage treatments are R100 each for 30 minutes, with express manicures for only R150, and there is no need to book. The special offer continues until the end of August, so this weekend is your last chance.
* At the Groot Constantia cellar, the tour on its own costs R25, the cellar with wine tasting is R60. Wine tasting on its own will set you back R45 and the wine and chocolate pairing R80
* I bought the Pinotage for R174 and the chocolate slab cost R58.
Renee Moodie, IOL Lifestyle Editor