if anyone ever tells you that picnics are childish and overrated, then they clearly haven't been to warwick wine estate. my dad has been a loyal supporter of warwick wines for years and knows mike ratcliffe, the owner, very well. those distinctively blue, yellow and red labeled bottles have had their fair share of filling wine glasses at many of our family dinners over the years. you can imagine my excitement when the zomato team booked for a foodie meetup at mike's beautiful farm! upon arrival, we were warmly welcomed by warwick's events manager, linda, who proceeded to pour us each a glass of the pink lady dry rosé. light & fruity and perfect for the scorching heat. our large group was then split into two and we were then led outside where a safari land rover was waiting for us.
we were taken on what warwick calls the big 5 wine safari, a bumpy but beautiful drive through the vineyards to the highest point of the estate. more pink lady filled our glasses as we soaked up the panoramic view of what looked like paradise. to all the guys out there looking for proposal ideas... *hint hint, this spot is the ultimate romantic setting*
we were joined by the other half of our group and then by warwick's wine maker himself, nick, who proceeded to lead us through an awesome winetastingof his most well known wines; the first lady cab sauv, unwooded chardonnay and rosé. the wine was impossible not to love and coupled with the breathtaking view, it was truly a stunning experience.
the warwick wine brand is without a doubt well known, but there is another little secret weapon that the farm has in its possession which makes it as highly demanded as it is. this is their incomparable ability to pull of the most exquisite picnics. after safari'ing back down to the restaurant area, we were led across a wide-open lawn which overlooks a glassy lake and is specked with picnic blankets shaded by big cream umbrellas. so when you book for a picnic, you can choose to have your picnic at a spot like that. or, if you are a bigger group like we were, you can book a picnic pod, which are special little gazebo-type structures tucked away amongst the trees with a long wooden tables. we had our picnic at the kunigunde pod. the table was set beautifully and what seemed like an endless number of wine bottles nestled neatly inside the table's built-in ice buckets. after filling our glasses once again, the chef introduced himself and explained the concept behind his picnic baskets to an group of eager (and hungry) foodies. we had the pleasure of being treated to his newest designed gourmet picnic which was delivered to our table in frighteningly-large wooden crates by numerous waitstaff. inside each of them was a collection of carefully thought out combinations of culinary delights- a selection of cheeses, freshly baked pretzel sticks & ciabatta rolls, a combo of cold meats, smoked salmon pâté & biltong pâté, a bunch of juicy red grapes and finally, a couscous salad with beetroot, citrus fruit, shredded carrot, cranberries and greens served in colourful layers inside a jar!
i'm not a huge fan of cheeses or cold meats so i focused on devouring the delicious couscous salad and did my best not to polish off an entire pretzel stick (which was an achievement in itself). if you're a sucker for fresh bread like i am, you would love this basket! if you like your cheeses and spreads with which to paint your fresh bread, then you too will also be in for a treat! the effort that is put into preparing, arranging and presenting the picnic feast we had was evident in every bite. everything was fresh, everything was delicious and you are treated with the utmost respect and hospitality.
what better way to spend a summery day than with a picnic basket & great wine all sorted for you? and where better to do it than at warwick? this place is in a league of its own and i will definitely be back with my family to prove it. thank you warwick!