Could a clear wintry day in Durbanville lead you to the occult?

Driving through the beautiful countryside last Friday, I suddenly thought I was losing it.  A sign pointed to Occultdale!  So I wondered if I was going to be transported to a strange dark place!  Fortunately, the sun was shining, nothing sinister happened and I drove along my merry way to explore, and was delighted by the first few Spring flowers alongside the road.  I never knew the Durbanville and Philadelphia back roads were so pretty!

Capaia is part of the new Philadelphia wine-growing region, near Durbanville, and constitutes a “wine ward” of its own. In 2005, Capaia was declared an estate (in accordance with the Château principle). Capaia’s entire terrain comprises 140 hectares, and extends upwards across the north-east flank of the Olifantskop.  Capaia had previously been a wheat farm, and converted to producing wine in 1997 by German owners Ingrid Baroness von Essen and Alexander Baron von Essen.

A unique feature at Capaia is their collection of 56 massive wooden fermentation tanks, each with a capacity of 5,000 litres, or 8,000 litres, respectively. They come equipped with temperature regulation, manufactured by Tonnellerie Taransaud in Cognac and made from 150-year-old French oak.  I doubt there is another winery in South Africa who has such a collection.

Down the road I visited Diemersdal, the home of Sauvignon Blanc, owned by the Louw family.  Did you know that they make 7 different styles of Sauvignon Blanc from the popular white grape? Clearly the farm is very popular, and on a sunny Friday, the tasting room and restaurant were abuzz with happy customers.
Make your way there to sample some of the finest Sauvignon Blancs in the country.