A personal sommelier with your wine tour?
New South African gastronomic safari for the ultimate connoisseur.
eyeseeAfrica is helping food and wine lovers get an in-depth understanding of local wines and cuisines with a new Gastronomic Safari Experience.
The company arranges bespoke trips based on clients’ preferences to the top Cape vineyards, including a personal in-house sommelier to guide and expand their local wine knowledge. It also ensures foodies get tables at coveted fine dining restaurants like FYN, Chefs Warehouse, and Salsify.
For an authentic taste of South Africa, clients can try a Cape Malay cooking course or forage and prepare wild ingredients under the guidance of an expert. They can even join locals in their homes for a private dining experience to get an authentic taste of South African food and hospitality, before heading to a luxury safari lodge for a few days.
‘Food and wine are just as important to South Africa as our wildlife is, explains Lara Jordaan, eyeseeAfrica’s in-house sommelier. ‘We are combining the best of all these experiences to create something completely different that you wouldn’t normally find on a standard safari itinerary. We use our local contacts to give our guests access to places, information, and experiences they’d battle to find on their own.’
Every gastronomic safari is bespoke, designed to a client’s individual preferences, and can be combined with longer trips to other parts of Africa or the Indian Ocean Islands.
– The Cape Winelands
Traditionally Stellenbosch and Franschhoek have held court with their historic vineyards and stately Cape Dutch homesteads, but areas such as the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, and lesser-known Wellington and Helderberg routes, should not be overlooked in your pursuit of award-winning wines.
The region is home to hundreds of impressive wine farms and estates, each with their own interpretation of the grape and many with fine restaurants, leaving you spoilt for choice when deciding on where to do a tasting, especially if your time is limited.
It’s therefore essential to have a local expert guiding you to the best of them, which is where the eyeseeAfrica in-house sommelier comes into play. Meet Lara Jordaan, whose passion and ever-increasing appreciation for the nectar of the gods has inspired her to pursue a career in the wine/hospitality industry.
– About Lara Jordaan
Born in Namibia, Lara discovered her love for wine while studying LAW in Stellenbosch, going on to start her career in the wine industry in 2002. From there she gained experience at various top wine farms, including Neil Ellis, Rust&Vrede, Delaire Graff and Creation, before joining Caroline’s Fine Wine Cellar, a highly reputed boutique Wine Store in Cape Town in 2007.
Lara, now a sommelier and beverage consultant with extensive experience, divides her time between La Mouette Restaurant and Upper Bloem Restaurant where she oversees all wine and beverage selections, and FYN Restaurant where she assists with their wine lists and pairings. FYN was recently voted the country’s fifth-best restaurant in the Eat Out Awards 2019.
Lara is the perfect match for eyeseeAfrica, who consistently strives to create unique and memorable moments for clients wanting to experience Africa on a more personal level. With Lara’s exceptional knowledge of the industry, her connections with various wine farms and her love for people, she takes wine enthusiasts on a personalised journey into the Cape Winelands, matching their interest and varietal preferences to the correct wine farm, where they will meet the winemakers or owners and be given an in-depth understanding of the story of that vine.
– About eyeseeAfrica
The company was set up by Tertius Jordaan, originally from Namibia, and now living in Cape Town. He assembled a team of local experts who have a deep understanding of and connection to the countries they promote. These contacts means clients get out of the ordinary experiences and luxurious accommodation – typically at lower prices than those sourced from the International Operators – with hands-on, personal, in-country customer service.
