Hemel en Aarde translates to “Heaven and Earth” in English. There was no mistake in the naming of this part of the country. It is as the name states, Heaven and Earth. It is one of the most beautiful places in South Africa. When my friend from Belgium was visiting me in Cape Town, I knew that we would need to drive out to Hemel en Aarde. Hemel en Aarde has it all, beautiful mountains, winding roads, tree-lined roads, manicured wine farms, wineries on the mountains, and wine tasting with spectacular views. My mother joined us for this weekend getaway. She drove all the way from Port Elizabeth. She wanted to spend time with us, so I booked a cottage with four rooms through Airbnb. It was an ideal cottage located in Hermanus. It was a short walk from the cottage to the beach which was fantastic. When there’s an ocean nearby it automatically feels like a holiday.
While in Hemel en Aarde we visited a couple of wineries and tasted some wine. This was a gorgeous and relaxed outing. We started at Bouchard Finlayson Winery. The woman who does the tasting already knew two of us because we had been there before at the end of last year. We had attended a wedding near the area and decided to taste some wine on the way back. We also went to Domaine Des Dieux and had the most wonderful tasting with the most wonderful view. I remember when I first visited the tasting room on the hill in the valley. I was amazed by the small “shack” of a house where tastings take place. It’s super cute and the people are welcoming. We sat and tasted MCC’s while looking out into the vineyard and the valley. Here are some memories of that pleasant afternoon.
