GLAMTRAILS: TAKE A WALK THROUGHTHE WINE FARMS

Take a meander through valleys and vineyards, up hills and mountain tracks, along farm roads and through incredible fauna and lora unique to the Western Cape. Picnic in vineyards, have a post-hike meal at a worldclass restaurant, or just sit back and relax with a glass of award-winning wine - Glamtrails.co.za

A new, exciting, sophisticated venture will have visitors, as well as locals, ‘taking a hike’ along the Hemel-en- Aarde Valley food-and-wine route. Glamtrails recently unveiled a new tourism initiative of guided routes - through fynbos, vineyards and farmlands - that can be completed in a few hours. Some of the courses are a short stroll, others are uphill hikes, rewarding guests with fine-wine tastings, as well as delectable food-and-wine pairings at some of the premier wine farms in valley. Each trail is interwoven with historical narratives, exceptional food-and-wine tastings, and incredible vistas.

The unique aspect of these walk is that, generally, they are not open to the public, since they are all on private properties, owned by wine estates or farmers. According to Tim Lundy - who with his wife, Gillian - spearheads the project, the community has been very supportive of this enterprising, innovative, tourism offering. As an accredited mountain guide, Lundy has many years of walking experience and regularly leads hikes in the Western Cape mountains. Each Glamtrail has been researched and walked by the husband-andwife team and they enjoy encouraging feedback from guests, as well as from the wine farms and restaurants on the routes.

Four Glamtrails are through, primarily, Chardonnayand Pinot Noir-producing wine farms, such as Bouchard Finlayson, Hamilton Russell Vineyards, Newton Johnson Family Vineyards, Creation Wines and Ataraxia, in this renowned valley.

CHOOSE FROM:

• a 7 km walk from Fernkloof Nature Reserve to Bouchard Finlayson Winery for a wine pairing, followed by a stop at Hamilton Russell Vineyards for a wine tasting.

• a circular 6.1 km walk from Creation Wines to Ataraxia Wines for a wine tasting followed by a food-and-wine pairing back at Creation.

• starting at Bouchard Finlayson with a wine tasting, a 3.5 km walk that ends with lunch at Newton Johnson Vineyards.

• a 7 km walking trail designed by legendary local botanist, Frank Woodvine, on the De Bos Farm of Bosman Hermanus, followed by a picnic lunch at the wine-tasting venue, Frame House.

For details: Tim Lundy on 083 444 5267 │For more information: www.glamtrails.co.za Prices range from R1 200 to R1 800 per person, with discounts for groups.

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