Mana

Oude Libertas Amphitheatre

2012-02-26T01:38:00.000-08:00

A five minute drive from Mana, and you can find this little gem of a theatre tucked away amongst the vines and leafy trees.
Check their production list at www.oudelibertas.co.za

Arrive a little early and enjoy a glass or two of complimentary wine they offer, or take a picnic and relax on the grass before you take your seat in the small amphitheatre.

A great review for us!!..thanks David.

2012-02-23T21:07:00.001-08:00

DAVID BULLARD does as little as possible in the Cape
I’d been congratulating myself on getting arrangements spot on for Mrs B when the news arrived that the 10 am Kulula flight to Cape Town had been cancelled and we were now on the 10.40am Comair flight. Paradoxically this has its advantages. I can get into the superb Kulula SLOW lounge at Olly Tambo with my BA card if I’m on a Comair flight but not if I travel Kulula. Go figure.
The later flight meant a 12.40ish arrival time and we still had to collect luggage and pick up a hire car. So my plans for a surprise leisurely lunch were slightly scuppered and we eventually arrived at the Devon Valley Hotel at around two and asked if they were still serving lunch. They certainly were they said and we took a table with a magnificent mountain view on the verandah. The menus were delivered and 10 minutes passed. Then 15, then 20, and 25 minutes later with Mrs B getting noticeably irritable I went to reception and mentioned that we hadn’t even been offered a drink let alone had our lunch order taken. This was the rocket that was needed and the staff sprung to life. They couldn’t have been more charming and the lunch was quite adequate but I couldn’t help wondering whether some staff training might come in useful at the Devon Valley Hotel. Simple stuff like associating people in restaurants sitting at empty tables with the need for food and drink.
Since lunch hadn’t been an unqualified success I was a tad apprehensive about our accommodation for the next four days. Suppose it was nothing like what was promised on the website. The only way to find out was to continue another 500 metres or so down the Devon Valley road and find out.

Merlot cottage at MANA. Picture: David Bullard

We “discovered” MANA on a trip to J C le Roux last October and thought it looked a promising place to stay. It’s set back from a very quiet road with little passing traffic and magnificent views. So I booked online and got an immediate confirmation. Couldn’t have been easier.
There’s always an element of expectation when you book into a new hotel or B&B and we have been disappointed on more occasions that I care to remember. There was the B&B that claimed a view of the ocean … but only if you stood on the roof. We pulled up outside reception and Heather Taylor, the owner, was there to meet us. She had put us in Merlot, one of the three luxury suites at MANA. There are also two very acceptable superior rooms at a slightly lower price and a self catering cottage for up to four people. The rooms are converted farm buildings and they may look a little rustic from the outside but inside they are comfortably but simply furnished.

The interior of Merlot cottage. PIcture: David Bullard

We noticed to our delight that there was no TV in the room, a plus in my book. Merlot is a long room with a sitting area at one end and the bedroom at the other. Downstairs is a large bathroom with open shower, twin vanity units and a heated towel rail. There’s a mini bar and coffee and tea making stuff and a safe plus plenty of wardrobe space. Air con is available but open windows provided enough of a breeze to keep us cool. I turned to Mrs B for the approving nod and we both agreed that we liked what we saw. Very much.
I love good thick towels and crisp bed linen and MANA had all that. I also don’t like to feel cooped up in a room but there’s no chance of that because MANA has the most exquisite gardens and terraces, all set among the vines of J C le Roux. It would be difficult to imagine a more idyllic peaceful setting.
We didn’t bother to go out to dinner on the first night so we sat outside the cottage watching the sun go down. Then, after a terrific night’s sleep in one of the more comfortable beds I have encountered away from home, it was breakfast time. MANA only offers breakfast (although I suspect you could persuade Heather to conjure up a salad if you were too idle to venture out to one of the many local restaurants).

Beautifully presented Eggs and B. Picture: David Bullard

Breakfast is served at a leisurely hour (around 9) outside on the terrace overlooking the mountains and under the shade of palm trees and umbrellas. It’s a simple menu of fresh fruit, juices, cereal, muesli and yoghurt variations followed by a selection of cooked main courses. I thought I’d try the fry up of eggs and bacon, and what turned up looked almost too good to eat. Many hotels manage to bugger up breakfast so when it’s done well then it’s a real pleasure. I found myself salivating in anticipation around 7.30 every morning.
Now this may sound all very gushing and you’re probably thinking this was a freebie but it wasn’t. We paid for the whole thing and even left a decent tip for the discreet and efficient staff. The big plusses at MANA are very little noise (although the grape harvest might be the exception), stunning location, comfortable rooms, great food and complete privacy. It is exactly the place to stay if you want to go on a gourmet trip to Tokara, Jordan, 96 Winery Road, Delaire and any of the other world class restaurants in the area. Just be warned that, other than enjoying the view and the food, there’s precious little else to do other than sit by the pool and read your iPad or Kindle. Which is precisely why MANA won’t appeal to the bling bunnies. And long may that continue to be the case.

GOLF

2012-02-20T08:40:00.000-08:00

www.golfteetimes.co.za

...any guests interested in the beautiful golf courses in the area should take a look at this site (link above). They offer discounted rates for tee times on all the courses. Guests currently using the site are playing courses at half the rate they paid last year!..which of course means you can stay twice a year now :)

Nutmeg spiced French Toast

2012-02-16T05:29:00.000-08:00

This thing of beauty all came from an unsystematic search in the kitchen cupboard, where I found some Maple syrup and Nutmeg. So amongst other creations, this appeared on our breakfast menu this morning.
'Nutmeg spiced French Toast, Mango, peaches and bananas with maple Syup and Greek Yoghurt.'
- Some might say that's worth a visit to Mana all on it's own!!!!!!

2012 vintage-the countdown begins..

2012-02-16T05:19:00.000-08:00

Okay, so here we are in February 2012. The hottest days of the year which are usually saved for February seemed to arrive a few weeks earlier in January this year. The hot weather has made the grapes beautifully ripe and juicy. Theres no rain on the horizon to spoil the harvesting, so things look good.
Fingers crossed for 2012 to be a fab vintage.

bug control in the herb garden

2012-02-14T11:05:00.000-08:00

Say hello to the Merlot.

2011-12-31T08:56:00.000-08:00

Okay, here we are at the end of December 2011 and the vines are doing nicely. It's been a cooler start to the Summer than previous years which should be good for the grapes. A slower ripening time and less stress on the vines could make 2012 vintage an absolute cracker!
Only a month or so and the harvest will begin!

Waterford Wine Estate- Revisited

2011-12-07T21:03:00.000-08:00

A recent return visit to this local Stellenbosch winery, affirmed it really should feature on your 'to do' list, if only to sample their wine and chocolate pairing.
3 wines- Shiraz, cabernet and a dessert wine are cleverly matched with a masala spice chocolate, a rock salt chocolate and a rose geranium chocolate.

They also sell the chocolate in a much more sensible size for you to buy, take home and re-create the experience, so leave some room in your suitcases!
Great wine, fab chocolate- Go there

Summer Festival at Jordan Wine Estate

2011-11-19T10:10:00.000-08:00

A beautiful afternnon in Stellenbosch, and we paid a visit to Jordan winery and their Summer festival. Part of the open day involves tours and barrel tastings which in itself is a fantastic insight in to their classy wine production. The highlight for us was a vertical tasting of Gary Jordans 'Cape Wine Makers Guild' Chardonnay's. 2005- 2009, all of this offered in a vaulted cellar by Gary and wine maker Sjaak. Believe me, these wines were truely F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-C!! Jordan Winery is a must visit!!

Garden Art @ Tokara DeliCATessen

2011-11-05T02:16:00.000-07:00

...we stopped for lunch at Tokara this week and found this great art collection in the garden. Pretty stunning hey!

The House of J C Le Roux..just a short walk from your room at Mana.

2011-11-03T08:15:00.001-07:00

Story of a SA photographer on Youtube.

2011-10-26T02:11:00.000-07:00

Story of a SA photographer: Caroline Gibello talks about her life as a South African photographer, her love for wildlife and the launch of her first self-published coffee table book, titled 'Gibello - Water and Dust'.

We love Carolines photography with the 'whiteness' of the images making them so eye catching.

She has a studio in Cape Town that you can visit.

Guinea nest in the garden

2011-10-09T23:11:00.000-07:00

The wild Guinea fowl that live in the vineyard have nested in the garden @Mana.
27 eggs in the nest!!!....... she's going to be a very busy mother in a few weeks.

Baked parcel of mussels @ Jordan Restaurant

2011-10-08T23:32:00.000-07:00

Mmmmm...Coconut, lemon grass & Lime leaf steamed in a parcel and delivered to you with a glass of Jordans fabulous Sauvigon Blanc. Just delicious!

'Nomblot Egg' wine fermententation tank.

2011-10-06T05:58:00.000-07:00

Made from cement, these eggs were designed by French vatmaker Marc Nomblot as an alternative to tank or barrel. As Glen Carlou winemaker Arco Laarman explains, a white wine fermented in tank can become reductive, robbing it of its bouquet. Because the cement walls are porous, measure oxygen exposure occurs.
Another advantage of the eggs is its shape which facilitates longer lees suspension. The lees are dregs consisting of dead yeast cells and other matter post fermentation which add complexity to the wine – gentle temperature variations naturally stir the lees, these rising in a vortex and because an egg has no angles to interrupt the vortex, the lees remain in suspension much longer.

We can confirm that Glen Carlou winery does make some of the best Chardonnay that the Cape has to offer. It also has a great little restaurant too. Best of all it's only 10 minutes away from Mana!

WOW.. winemaking is so much fun..

Spring 2011

2011-09-16T01:30:00.000-07:00

Springtime in the vineyards. The first new young shoots are bursting in to life around us, delivering the much needed nutrition for the grapes that will hopefully make the 2012 vintage a year to remember.

Table mountain now in Stellenbosch!!!!

2011-08-25T02:08:00.000-07:00

Okay, you're not going to believe this, but with all the renaming of airports and towns going on in South Africa, the Government also had a great idea and moved Table mountain. As you can see it's now where the Helderberg mountain used to be.

Sun, great wine, great food AND Table Mountain?? ..why go anywhere else.? come to Stellenbosch before it's moved again...
....I told you you wouldn't believe me.

The hanging gourds of Babylon-(storen)

2011-08-17T23:17:00.000-07:00

Situated on the borders of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek you can find the beautiful farm 'Babylonstoren'. They've spent 2 years and a small fortune restoring and building the farm in to this showstopper. A garden of huge proportions has been created to supply the on site restaurant 'Babel'.
If you love meandering around a true farm garden, full of vegetables, fruit trees, nut trees, herbs, chickens , ducks this is a must visit.
The beautiful restaurant Babel makes full use of the bounty on it's doorstep and is a shining example of the current foodie focus of 'farm to plate'.

This guy has a lot of munching to do!

(roasted guavas with gorgonzola mousse)

only in Africa

2011-08-10T01:48:00.000-07:00

Top marks for sharing transport guys.
Not sure what the road safety bods in Europe would think of this though.....

Quiet please!!!

2011-06-24T02:52:00.000-07:00

Shhhhhhhhh.....vines sleeping.

Autumn 2011...it's here

2011-05-15T05:31:00.000-07:00

Mild sunny days, and cool nights. Its a great time of the year to visit the Cape if you prefer the days a little cooler. The scenery in Autmn is perhaps the most beautiful time, really stunning.
Made specifically for a fire and good Saffa red wine.

Book now!! I would!

A weekend picking olives

2011-04-19T02:54:00.000-07:00

April is olive picking season in the Cape. A few varieties exist on the farm, Misson, Frantoio,
Leccino and Calamata.
We harvested a few hundred kilos this year, and took them up to a local 'olive shed' for processing in to the most beautiful fresh extra virgin oil. Yum!

A 'pod' of pelicans

2011-04-17T01:49:00.000-07:00

Just a regular lazy Sunday morning. Then a pod of Pelicans passed overhead. Not something we see everyday, but very beautiful!.

YIKES!!! The mountains on fire!!

2011-04-17T01:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we saw the Helderberg mountain suffer a huge bush fire. It started in the Helderberg nature reserve in Somerset West, but very strong winds made containing the fire near impossible. It burnt it's way around the mountain towards Stellenbosch. Thankfully the wind slowed and they had it under control by morning, although some homes and vineyards were burnt to the ground.

Honey!!

2011-03-06T00:42:00.000-08:00

During February we make our annual 'raid' on our bee hive. They produce the most beautiful honey from all the lavender and passion flowers in the garden.
Just fabulous with museli & yoghurt for breakfast.

...forever blowing bubbles

2011-03-06T00:37:00.000-08:00

Forever blowing bubbles

We were at a set of traffic lights in Stellenbosch recently and noticed some new bill board advertising by J C Le Roux (The wine farm we are situated on).
In the centre of the image you can pick out the white gables of Mana, which shows its lovely position in the valley.
Of course when visiting you may see all these bubbles floating about....it really depends on the amount of J C Le Roux Champagne you consume!!

2011-03-06T00:32:00.000-08:00

Looking for restaurants close to Mana?

2011-02-16T01:21:00.000-08:00

Dining-OUT

A useful link to restaurants in the immediate area of Mana. PLease click on the Dining-out link.

Stellenbosch has a wonderful dining scene and is home to 4 of the top rated restaurants in South Africa. We also have some fabulous hidden gems for that simple Smoked Trout salad or cheese plate& wine.

The old bank Bakkerij (Bakery)

2011-02-10T02:40:00.000-08:00

The old bank Bakkerij in Stellenbosch opens a few nights a week to offer 'wood fired' pizza, wine, beer & live music. R50 buys a freshly made pizza, and they have some fun wines by 'The Boer & Brit' like 'Bob's your uncle'. Relaxed, simple, tasty and makes a good night out. Try them.

'With the body of a Boer and the nose of an Englishman.......you can't go wrong'

Lavender Harvest

2011-02-02T00:57:00.000-08:00

A harvest of lavender flowers from the garden. Hopefully our honey bees have been busy with these flowers over the last few months. We should be raiding the hive this month to take a look.!

Now we're talking!!!!

2011-02-02T00:44:00.000-08:00

February is upon us and it is baking hot in Stellenbosch. The vines are loving the excellent weather and the grapes are reaching their beautiful ripe black colour. A week or two more and these beauties will be on thier way to the cellar.

Neil Ellis Winery

2011-01-12T00:05:00.000-08:00

A visit to the Neil Ellis winery in Stellenbosch. Neil is a memeber of the Cape Wine Guild, and produces some absolutely outstanding examples of brilliantly crafted South African wines.
Interestingly Neil Ellis has no vineyards of their own, and buy their grapes from selected vineyards. This they say allows them to source the highest quality grapes, and free's them to explore.
With results as good as their Sauvignon Blanc, made from grapes located on the West Coast of Darling, we agree whole heartedly!!!
Give them a visit.

In to the new year

2011-01-11T23:57:00.000-08:00

January 2011, and the Summer temeratures are hovering in the 30's. The vines are slowly ripening, and with the increased heat, the natural sugars in the grapes begin to intensify, and the berries are now starting to turn to their red ripe colour. Approximately 1 month- 6 weeks, and the first harvest will begin on the farm.

Christmas Pit Roast Lamb

2010-12-24T03:40:00.000-08:00

Our first attempt at a Trad Pit Roast produced awesome results. A pit roasting for 7 hours rewarded us with the most tenderest of lamb that fell of the bone. Even the veggis were great after 7hrs. Dig your self a pit a give it a try.

Merlot. December 2010

2010-12-07T02:01:00.000-08:00

Merlot is one of the first varietals on the farm to ripen. We are now in December and you can see the bunches taking shape. They're roughly half their size now that they will be come February and still rather green. Ripening will start in January.

Top Ten Restaurant Awards

2010-11-29T01:37:00.000-08:00

1. Rust En Vrede, David Higgs. Stellenboch
2. The Tasting Room, Le Quartier Francais, Chef Margot Janse, Franschhoek
3. Jordan. George Jardine. Stellenbosch
4. Bosmans. Grand Roche Hotel. Paarl.
5. DW Eleven-13, Chef Marthinus Ferreira, Johannesburg
6. Terroir, Chef Michael Broughton, Stellenbosch
7. Aubergine, Chef Harald Bresselschmidt, Cape Town
8. Roots, Chef Allistaire Lawrence, Johannesburg
9. Overture. Bertus Basson. Stellenbosch.
10. Hartford House, Chef Jackie Cameron, Mooi River

----These are the new top 10 restaurants in South Africa. Take a look........4 of them are in beautiful Stellenbosch, and a further 2 are in the Cape Winelands!!!
Stellenbosch is without doubt the food capital of South Africa.
If seriously good food and great dining experiences are on your agenda, be sure to come and visit soon.! :)

Canopy Management

2010-11-22T23:18:00.000-08:00

End of November and the vines are growing lots of leaf, which needs to be kept in check. 'Canopy management' is the term used to describe the removal of the excess vine growth. It involves removing the long young growth, and this does a few good things for the grapes. (a) it allows enough sunlight through to ripen the grapes, (b) it allows a good air flow to keep the grapes cool, (c) improves grape quality, (d) makes the vineyard look real pretty!

It's Summertime!!

2010-11-17T01:24:00.000-08:00

Wow !!...Summer arrived this week with temperatures shooting up from 17 one day to 37 degrees the next.
Although it's not offically Summer until December, it certainly feels like the start of Summer weather.

Today as you see from the photo is a beautiful warm clear morning. The Helderberg mountain looks colourful with all the vineyards, and the Hottentot mountains seen towards the far right are in Somerset West.

Wine tasting at Stark-Conde

2010-11-07T02:39:00.000-08:00

Stark-Conde is situated in the Jonkershoek valley, and has one of the most beautiful wine tasting locations known to man.
The wine tasting is located out on the lake, and Bongi (the tasting room host) pours & explains more about the wines ..and fabulous they are too. Small quantities, crafted brilliantly by winemaker/owner Jose Conde.
They also have a new little cafe that sells homemade cake.
Cake, fine wine, beautiful views. You should go and we'd be very happy to point you in the right direction when you come visit.

Blooming Marvellous .Part 3

2010-10-28T07:37:00.000-07:00

blooming marvellous..part 2

2010-10-28T07:34:00.000-07:00

Blooming Marvellous..

2010-10-28T07:31:00.000-07:00

Beautiful October, a great month for flowers in the garden

October and grapes are forming

2010-10-24T04:08:00.000-07:00

Mid Spring, the vines have flowered and the new grape bunches are in the early stages. The vines have beautiful fresh lime green colured leaves.
Only 4 months 'till harvest !!

Lemon Curd

2010-10-18T04:34:00.000-07:00

Living in the Cape, we are lucky enough to have an abundance of Lemon trees in the garden, and we're often asked what do we do with them all.
Well, apart from the need to drink more Gin & Tonics and Margaritas to use them up, we make delicious Lemon Curd.

Lovely at breakfast with toast, and actually delicious with museli and thick Greek yoghurt.

Ask Heather about it. She may even have a spare jar for you to take home.

New Vines

2010-10-04T03:54:00.000-07:00

The farm has been undergoing some new planting, and here they've recently planted 6,000 young Pinot Noir vines. The new vines are created to be resistant to Phyloxia.
The wooden posts are added on a ratio of 1 per 4-5 vines, so approximately 1500 posts to be intalled, all by hand !. They will then add the 3 support wires.

Breakfast

2010-10-02T09:49:00.000-07:00

...Home-made Sticky Cinnamon cakes for visiting guests this morning. Great with good coffee.

Guinea Fowl

2010-09-30T00:48:00.000-07:00

Wild Guinea fowls are nesting in our garden. They have 12 eggs and they nest on the ground.
Something our 2 Dachsunds 'Molly & Dolly' will find quite interesting.

6AM this morning

2010-09-30T00:40:00.000-07:00

An early morning walk in the surrounding vineyards at Mana. Beautiful misty views in the valley, and in the last image you can see the gables of Mana emerging. Stunning!

It's a beautiful day in Devon Valley...

2010-09-28T01:16:00.000-07:00

...and this looks inviting.

2010-09-26T01:25:00.000-07:00

off our standard rate for October 2010.

We are offering guests a 10% discount for accommodation in October 2010. Here's what to do.

Book accommodation via our home web page for October 2010, or
Send us an e-mail to stay@mana.co.za with your accommodation details.
Mention that you viewed our blog with this offer.
That's it! We'll do the rest.

...Good Morning

2010-09-26T00:33:00.000-07:00

Some of our happy hens, that give us wonderful free range eggs we serve at breakfast.

Jonkershoek Nature Reserve

2010-09-23T09:15:00.000-07:00

Mountains...peace....quiet...wrap around beautiful views
It really is worth a visit when visiting Stellenbosch.

Ken the Chameleon

2010-09-22T01:23:00.000-07:00

..Seen here in the herb garden, but usually hanging out in the lavender.

Rust En Vrede Visit

2010-09-22T01:03:00.000-07:00

A recent visit to Rust En Vrede vineyard where they offer a red wine tasting , this 'Winemakers lunch', and a glass of their Estate blend. All for R 150-00! Highly recommendable we say.

Sunrise & Sunset views from Mana

2010-09-22T00:51:00.000-07:00

2010-09-21T02:25:00.000-07:00

A stroll around the terraced gardens at Mana this morning

Spring Time at Mana!!

2010-09-21T02:19:00.000-07:00

Mr. Merlot looking rather resplendant as he starts waking up

Autumn in Stellenbosch

2010-05-31T05:02:00.000-07:00

Beautiful colours in the surrounding vineyards at Mana with the arrival of Autumn.

Flickr

2010-05-20T04:59:00.001-07:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.