Located in the Hemel-en-Aarde valley outside Hermanus, Bouchard Finlayson is known not only for its award-winning wines, but also for its focus on conservation and sustainability as a WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) Conservation Champion.

In the interest of biodiversity, the boutique winery has only 25 hectares planted with vineyard, while 100 hectares remain as natural, protected fynbos that includes more than 330 plant species. Guests may book Guided Nature Walks to experience the natural beauty of the estate and to learn more about the rich Cape Floral Kingdom. The Guided Walking Trails are available throughout the year but are most popular during the Spring months when the wild flowers are in bloom after the winter rains. Expertly guided by Frank Woodvine, Bouchard Finlayson’s resident amateur botanist, a choice of three different Walking Trails are offered, ranging from 45 minutes to two and a half hours. Guided walks are subject to availability and require booking at least seven days in advance. The nature trails are also available to hikers to use (free of charge), after they have collected maps and signed indemnity forms at the cellar door.

Back at the cellar door current vintages are available for tasting, while Peter Finlayson’s ‘Peter’s Picks’ of older vintages are on display and available for sale in the Collectors’ Corner. Delicious Deli Platters can be pre-ordered to be enjoyed on the terrace overlooking the vineyards, or in the cellar next to a crackling fire in winter. Snack boxes are available for children, with colouring-in pages and wax crayons to keep them occupied. There are rolling lawns to run around and kick a ball, while the fountain in the courtyard with koi carp fish is guaranteed to entertain the little ones for hours on end.

Visitors to the estate qualify for a complimentary wine tasting of three wines when using the new WWF Champion Wine Farm Guide App that features Bouchard Finlayson alongside other environmental leaders in the wine industry. The App is aimed at wine lovers, locals and tourists who are encouraged to use the guide that recognises wineries for their commitment to conservation, responsible production practices, integrated environmental management systems, and spearheading innovations in water, energy efficiency and climate adaptation.

Tintswalo Lodges has expanded its portfolio of luxury lodges and boutique hotels that are all set in iconic locations, with the opening of Tintswalo at Boulders Boutique Villa in Simon’s Town (Cape Town).

With direct access to Boulders Beach and its world-famous resident colony of endangered African penguins, Tintswalo at Boulders operates on a bed and breakfast basis with nine double suites, as well as a children’s suite. Airport transfers, complimentary Wifi, full breakfast and afternoon canapes are included and a private chef is available on request to prepare other meals. A concierge service is offered for bookings of restaurants, snorkelling safaris and guided sea kayaking excursions.

Alternatively, Tintswalo at Boulders may also be booked on an exclusive-use basis for families and friends travelling together, either as a private villa of five suites and a children’s room, or the entire villa sleeping 18 adults and two children (minimum stay of 3 nights required for exclusive-use bookings).

On route to Cape Point, Boulders Beach is known for its pristine swimming beaches where the penguins are the star attraction. Surrounded by fynbos, Tintswalo at Boulders boasts a unique North-facing, beachfront location that offers endless ocean views. Spacious living areas lead to a terrace with a sea view pool. The luxurious suites have en-suite bathrooms and are individually decorated, some with private balconies. Paying homage to maritime history and the villa’s location in Simon’s Town, the rooms are named after famous ships, ranging from the Mayflower and the Cutty Sark, to Jan van Riebeeck’s Drommedaris.

The 2013 vintage of Bouchard Finlayson’s iconic Tête de Cuvée Galpin Peak Pinot Noir has scored a gold medal in the Six Nations Wine Challenge 2018, in a prestigious line-up of the best ‘New World Wines’.

The Six Nations Wine Challenge is a unique benchmark in excellence for the six competing nations and promotes the outstanding quality, diversity and richness of wines produced in Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Canada, the USA and South Africa. With Michael Fridjhon from South Africa as Chairman of Judges, fellow judges from each competing country – Huon Hooke (Australia), Bob Campbell MW (New Zealand), Eduardo Brethauer (Chile), Patrick Comiskey (USA) and Christopher Waters (Canada), chose their best local wines to compete in a giant blind tasting of 600 wines. Each judge selected 100 wines across the 16 classes with a maximum of ten in any one class, to determine the best in their country, regardless of company size or quantity available.

Tête de Cuvée Galpin Peak Pinot Noir is Bouchard Finlayson’s Icon Wine and has been collecting awards for 21 years (since 1997). The label presents a selection of the estate’s top Pinot Noir barrels from a particular vintage as the winemakers’ opportunity to showcase the very best of their unique terroir and winemaking. South Africa’s ‘Pinot Pioneer’ Peter Finlayson explains that Tête de Cuvée’s appeal lies in its extraordinary quality and exclusivity: ‘Tête de Cuvée is a limited edition bottling of only the best Pinot noir barrels for any single vintage. It is not produced every year, but here is an opportunity to spoil and take advantage of the best of this quality fruit, which traditionally derives from the same specific terroir. It is an honour to be recognised in this prestigious competition and included amongst the champions of the New World.’

The 2013 vintage is described as a ‘fruits of the forest’ wine where the colour is deep and the body is firm and bold. ‘It is a complex wine which demands aging to develop its core of complexity with delicious raspberry, quince and blackberry flavours. This adds to the nutty tones offered by the generous compliment of wood, with a tannin-rich, but harmonious finish.’

Tintswalo at Lapalala Wilderness has opened in the malaria-free Waterberg (Limpopo province). Located 300km from Johannesburg (or 30 minutes’ flying), it is one of only two commercial lodges within 44 500 hectares of untouched wilderness. The family-friendly lodge comprises of only seven luxury tented suites with private plunge pools, en-suite bathrooms and outdoor baths and showers, and includes a 2-bedroom family tented suite to accommodate a total of 16 adults and 4 children.

Tintswalo at Lapalala Wilderness is environmentally conscious and operated entirely off the grid. The sheer expanse of the vast, game-rich reserve offers seclusion and a multitude of unique wilderness experiences for the whole family.

Rates include luxury tented accommodation, all meals and house drinks, two safari activities per day, wi-fi and laundry, as well as a Children’s Activity programme. Mouth-watering cuisine is served al fresco on poolside verandas overlooking the water hole, or on balmy evenings around a blazing boma firepit beneath the Milky Way.

The Lapalala Wilderness Reserve is one of the largest private reserves in SA and was founded in 1981 by conservation champions, Dale Parker and Clive Walker. It is recognised as a champion of sustainable wildlife conservation with the vision to leave a legacy for generations to come. Boasting classic savannah biomes, Tintswalo at Lapalala offers low impact game viewing with daily game drives and guided bush walks. Excursions are offered to the Wildlife Breeding programmes and the famous community based Lapalala Wilderness School, as well as to an iron age site to view ancient artefacts and Bushmen rock art paintings.

With 27km of pristine river frontage throughout the reserve, the Palala River presents guests with the unique opportunity to fish the crystalline mountain waters or swim in the bubbling rapids. Other relaxing pursuits include sundowner cruises and riverside picnics, birdwatching and stargazing, sleep-outs and spa treatments.

Raised above the surrounding bushveld on sprawling wooden decks, the eco-friendly lodge presents a sustainable wilderness and safari experience in the lap of luxury. Those with an adventurous spirit have the option to upgrade their luxury tent to a romantic sleep-out experience under the African skies to spend the night close to nature on a comfortably furnished, raised wooden deck in a remote part of the reserve. With little more than candlelight and the sounds of nature all around, this is an unforgettable primal experience, bringing luxury as close to nature as can be imagined.

Photo Credit: David Ogden

Tintswalo Atlantic has announced its year-end packages which include corporate events for groups of up to 40 guests. Corporates are invited to end their year on a high note with an unforgettable lunch that includes canapes and a delectable 4-course menu (R750 per person, excluding drinks and 10% service charge). The breathtaking seaside venue is also available for exclusive takeovers, awards presentation ceremonies and glamorous evening events. There is an option of booking overnight accommodation in 12 luxury suites to provide executives with the ultimate end-of-the-year thank-you-treat.

With the holiday season fast approaching, Tintswalo Atlantic is taking advance bookings from a limited number of non-resident guests for Christmas Eve Dinner and its legendary New Year’s Eve Celebration.

Celebrate Christmas Eve on the ocean’s edge in true Tintswalo Atlantic style with dinner under the crystal sky. The special event kicks off at sunset with starters and cocktails followed by an extravagant beachside Christmas harvest table, plated dessert and nightcaps. Dress code is smart casual and the cost of R1110 per person includes entertainment by a live band.

New Year’s Eve in Cape Town is the highlight of the holiday season and there is no better spot to watch the sun set on 2018 and toast 2019 than Tintswalo Atlantic. Bid farewell to 2018 with flair and indulge in a decadent dinner with a live band and DJ and a countdown to remember.  Tintswalo’s New Year’s Dinner Celebration includes canapes & cocktails, followed by main course and a dessert bar, as well as a late night feast leading to the all-important countdown celebrated with bubbles, cocktails and a gin bar. Themed ‘Truly Cape Town’, dress is smart casual and reservations are available at R2470 per person.

In preparation for the warmer months, Bouchard Finlayson has released the 2018 vintage of its popular Walker Bay Sauvignon Blanc as the perfect pairing with light, summer dishes such as white fish, sushi, green salads, calamari and prawns.

Founder Peter Finlayson says: ‘Our geographic location, lying within five kilometres of the cool Atlantic Ocean, offers the most ideal temperature zone of the Cape for growing Sauvignon Blanc. Added to this, the heavy shale clay soil that typifies the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley lends an inviting tropical tone to the flavour profile of this vintage.’

Originating from domain vineyards, the Walker Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2018 has a strong vibrant aroma, tropical fruits of pineapple, litchi and granadilla. This is followed by a firm crisp palate signaling a determined structure with parallel fruit inviting engagement, says winemaker Chris Albrecht. Early botting has captured the fermentation esters and early aromatics which have become a hallmark of the Bouchard Finlayson Sauvignon Blanc. (Cellar door price: R126 per bottle)

Sanbona Wildlife Reserve has unveiled the new-look Dwyka Tented Lodge and Gondwana Family Lodge. Recognised as one of South Africa’s largest privately-owned reserves, Sanbona stretches across 58 000 hectares of the wide open plains of the Klein Karoo, and is known as the Western-Cape’s premier wildlife destination. It is situated close to Montagu in the heart of the Little Karoo, a three-hour scenic drive from Cape Town along Route 62, and offers an authentic safari experience in a malaria-free area.

Sanbona is a sanctuary for indigenous flora and fauna, including the Big 5, but it is the vastness of the landscape and the alluring isolation amid the raw beauty and boundless plains which sets it apart.

Embraced by striking rock formations, Dwyka Tented Lodge is set in a horseshoe bend of a dry Karoo ravine framed by the beautifully weathered landscape.  The secluded lodge has received a complete revamp to the lounge and dining areas and the nine luxury tents, each with its own private deck and heated Jacuzzi, to epitomise the romance of a pioneering wilderness adventure.

Gondwana Family Lodge also had a total face lift to the 12 suites, as well as the main lodge dining and lounge areas. Offering a family-safari in style, Gondwana welcomes children of all ages and is equipped with a kids’ TV lounge, indoor and outdoor play areas with a child-friendly swimming pool. With mountain views the spacious thatched lodge overlooks the dam and is ideal for groups of friends and families travelling together. Inter-leading rooms are available and all suites come with a comfortable sleeper couch to accommodate a child.

The Sanbona Kids on Safari programme at Gondwana offers educational and recreational wildlife experiences. Welcome Packs include the Sanbona Activity Book filled with educational and interactive activities to teach children in a fun way about the wildlife at Sanbona.  Children four years and older are welcome on game drives with their parents, while the Interpretive trail takes children of all ages through the gardens to learn about important plants and animals on the reserve. Other activities include arts and crafts, puzzles, board games, entertaining and educational children’s books, and documentary DVD’s on various conservation topics and animals, as well as entertaining animated movies.

Each of the Sanbona lodges offer delicious and wholesome farm-style cuisine, comfortable lounge and relaxation areas, pool decks with swimming pools, and access to spa facilities. The Relaxation Retreat menu presents a range of therapies and treatments, including a steam room at Gondwana and Tilney Manor, for a serene ending to an action packed day on safari. Within the expansive reserve adventure activities includes twice daily game drives or wilderness walks, wildlife excursions and photographic safaris, stargazing and guided rock art walks to offer a superb safari getaway within easy reach of Cape Town.

Bouchard Finlayson has joined the wine.co.za initiative to encourage South Africans around the world to ‘open up a bottle of wine with some new friends on Heritage Day, and let them taste some of our sunshine’.

On Heritage Day, 24 September 2018, Bouchard Finlayson is joining the #tastesunshine initiative to encourage South Africans to invite friends around, light a fire for a braai, and share some great South African wines.

Winemaker Chris Albrecht says that Bouchard Finlayson wines are great food wines. A keen fisherman who enjoys spearfishing as a hobby, he continues: ‘For a braai on Heritage Day I will choose a freshly caught yellowtail off the coast of Agulhas, braaied to perfection on the beach with butter, garlic, parsley and a squeeze of lemon. Served with homemade tartare sauce and a glass of the newly released 2018 Bouchard Finlayson Sauvignon Blanc it promises to be food and wine pairing made in heaven!’

 The wine is refreshingly aromatic and unpretentiously drinkable, the nose is fragrant and the palate portrays rich tropical fruit tones of granadilla, guava and litchi. Crisp, creamy and lingering with an eventual harmonious palate finish it perfectly complements seafood and other light, summer dishes. More tropical than grassy and more delicate than overpowering, pure fruit tones and good balance are in keeping with the winery’s preference for riper Sauvignon Blanc flavours. (Now available at the cellar door at R126 per bottle)

Photo Credit: Greg Lumley

Tintswalo Atlantic has introduced a brand new BabyMoon package for couples wishing to celebrate a pregnancy with a pampering, romantic break before baby arrives.

The 2-night package in a luxury island suite includes full breakfast daily and a romantic gourmet dinner on one of the nights, as well as romantic turn downs and a bottle of non-alcoholic bubbly. The package also includes a pampering Mommy-to-Be massage, as well as an on-site 60-minute professional Preggie photoshoot with 60 to 80 digital images. Valid from September 2018 to 30 April 2019, the indulgent Tintswalo Atlantic Babymoon package costs R28 950 per couple. Optional extras to be booked in advance include additional Spa treatments and Mommy-to-be Yoga.

Known as Cape Town’s hidden gem, the intimate, 5-star boutique lodge is situated on a pebbled beach at the foot of the Table Mountain National Park outside Hout Bay. A short scenic drive from the Cape Town CBD, it boasts a breathtaking location right on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. Surrounded by nature only, each of the 11 suites are named after an island – from exotic Antigua and Ithica, to Lamu, Sicily and Zanzibar.

Individually decorated with romantic touches, all suites have luxurious king size beds, a lounge area with a wood burning fireplace, and a tea and coffee station with an espresso machine. Spacious en-suite bathrooms have sea views with walk-in showers, his-and-hers basins and huge Victorian baths with a selection of fragrant soaps and bath products. Each suite has a private terrace right on the water’s edge, inviting couples to relax, rejuvenate and breathe in the fresh sea air. With complimentary wifi, in-room massages and room service only a phone call away, couples may never want to leave their suite!

Exclusive, luxurious and private – there simply is no other place quite like it to celebrate a pregnancy.