Wine club

The wineries around Franschhoek and Stellenbosch are spread out over a large area, and are thus not navigable by foot, apart from where there are clusters of them. This leaves visitors who prefer not to drink and drive with two options. Spit out the wine, or go on an organised tour.

On Saturday afternoon I paid the better part of £50 to go on a tour. Given that this is the equivalent of a weekly wage for some taxi drivers in Cape Town, it's hardly surprising that many locals end up driving between the wineries under the influence.

I was picked up from my guesthouse around lunch time by a very friendly South African lady called Dannelle, who was to be my guide for the afternoon. We then drove towards Paarl, where we would be picking up the remaining two people coming on the tour. All sorts of thoughts and concerns raced through my head as we made our journey. We had no idea what these people were going to be like, but regardless of whether they were charming or insufferable, we were going to spend the whole afternoon with them, drinking. I needn't have worried. It became evident from within a few seconds of the couple getting in the car that all was fine. They were personable and friendly from the off, a little bit older than me, one a teacher, the other a freelance journalist and from the Cotswolds. We were exchanging anecdotes and stories about our respective holidays within a couple of minutes, and I felt relaxed.

We visited three fantastic wineries over the course of the afternoon, tried 14 different wines and also noshed on cheese and biscuits. The conversation flowed easily, the surroundings were perfect. It was a proper grown up, civilised afternoon. I felt comfortable and content, and in my mind I contrasted it with how out of place I felt in Thailand last year amongst the backpacking hordes. Perhaps I was accepting my age...