And so we're off to the South African wine country, headquartered in a little town called Stellenbosch.
I'm not going to go into a lot of detail here. There are some very nice wineries, although it's not as well marketed as the wineries in Napa or the Barossa Valley. Instead, it has a more down-home feel for the most part.
There is one notable excption, however, a winery named Spier has a complete family-style experience set up. Lonely Planet doesn't speak highly of their wines, but they do recommend stopping by. It's a great place for a picnic, or you can eat at the restaurant where you're required to paint your face. (Hey, I come from a place where steakhouses cut off your tie, what can I say?)
The interesting thing about Spier, is that in addition to the restaurants, the duck pond, and the wine tasting they also do some wildlife preservation and education. This includes the opportunity to pet a cheetah.
Yep, they've managed to combine the ingestion of alcohol with the petting of fierce animals. I'm astounded there's not some ridiculous waiver involved.
Regrettably, we didn't take the opportunity to pet the cheetahs, instead watching (safely) from a distance. Maybe next time. As they say, "always leave something left to do, so you have a reason to go back."
Of course next time we're in New Zealand I am going to Zorb.
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