Life's a Picnic at Boschendal Wine Estate

In the past, the proverbial picnic on the lawn consisted of soggy sandwiches, swarms of flies, invading ants, and the greatest calamity of all, the forgotten corkscrew for that special bottle of wine you so lovingly carried all the way there.

Picnics in the South African Winelands have come a long way and are now a fun event for the whole family at the Boschendal Wine Estate located in Franschhoek, Western Cape, South Africa. Boschendal offers a lovely "Pique Nique" on a perfectly manicured lawn dotted with tables with large umbrellas, tall trees, a water lily pond, a bright white Victorian bandstand, and in the background, completing the perfect image, the magnificent Simonsberg Mountains.

The Boschendal Wine Estate offered the original "Pique-Nique on the Cape" in October 2004. Thereafter, it became a tradition for locals and visitors alike to enjoy and elegant French-style picnic on the beautiful lawns of this magnificent winery. Reservations are a must for the hugely popular Summer event. To make reservations, go to their website at www.boschendal.com and book online, or pick-up the phone. We made our reservation online about 3 weeks before our arrival in Cape Town, and in fact, my first chosen date was not available, but it worked out in the end as we spent one week in Franschhoek (the Winelands).

Le Pique-Nique

We arrived one-and a half hour early to give ourselves time to tour the Manor house, visit the grounds, and peruse the goods in the gift shop. We omitted the wine tasting tour as we planned to indulge in a wonderful bottle of Boschendal wine during our picnic. We made our way to the Picnic lawn and we were greeted by Alistair, a delightful young man who immediately asked if we had reservations. After he confirmed that indeed, we had a picnic basket reserved, he indicated that we could select any table that was not "set-up" for lunch, or if we had a blanket, we could sit anywhere on the lawn. On such a hot summer day, we chose a large table covered with a white linen cloth, under the shady pine trees.

Inside the Wicker Picnic Basket

Our waiter was leaning to one side as he carried our wicker basket, indicating that it was loaded with delectable goods! Upon inspection, we found two dinner plates, two salad plates, salt/pepper shakers, butter, utensils wrapped in paper napkins, one long French baguette and various dishes beatifully wrapped and labeled wicker baskets. Beverages, such as mineral water and wines are extra. However, hot coffee and hot tea are available, free of charge, for self-service from the gazebo.

The wine list offers Boschendal's finest available to enhance your "Boschendal" experience. Our choice of wine was a1685 Chardonnay Pinot Noir, a lovely sparkling white wine. Wine price: R130 or about US$14.50. On that hot day, this wine proved to be an excellent accompaniment to our lunch!

Le Menu

~ Tartlet of Smoked Franschhoek Salmon Trout

~ Snoek Pate and Red Pepper Humus

~ French Baguette

~ Rare Roast Beef with whole grain mustard

~ Smoked "Coronation" Chicken

~ Country Ham

~ Baby Potato Salad

~ Corn Salad

~ Cheese (Brie and Emmenthal), whole wheat crackers (biscuits) and Pineapple Chutney

~ Chocolate Brownies.

2008-2009 price per person is R 135.00 or about US$15.00. The Picnic is offered from October 2008 until May 2009

A special "Children's Le Pique Nique" is also available; price per child: R59

Quality of Food

The baby potato and corn salads had the right amount of seasonings, and I'd recommend not filling up on the salads as there is more in the wicker basket than meets the eye! The bread was not as superior as expected, but was pleasantly fresh and soft, and made a good sandwich. The roast beef was cooked just right and had a hint of blush, and the ham was moist and delicious. The pates were just delicious and it's a good thing that only two small portions were provided.

According to my husband, the piece of resistance was the chocolate brownie, which contained oodles of Macadamia nuts, providing the right amount of crunch to a gooey confection.

Summary

While there is no doubt "Le Pique-Nique" is a bit touristy, sitting under the shade of scented pine trees while a soft breeze caressed our cheeks, enjoying nice food and a wonderful bottle of sparkling wine, was just the right thing to do on a hot December day! Summer is in full swing in the Southern Hemisphere!

Highly recommended!