It’s a long way from Pietermaritzburg to Stellenbosch (about 1,500km by road), especially when you add a side-trip to California, on the west coast of the US. But it’s all part of the journey for Delheim’s new head winemaker, Nongcebo “Noni” Langa.
Former Pietermaritzburg schoolgirl Nongcebo Langa becomes winemaker at leading Stellenbosch winery iol.co.za - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from iol.co.za Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The Stellenbosch Wine Route is a world famous tourist attraction. The RoadTrip team tracks its history in two vehicles from two very different automotive eras.
We take so much for granted these days – rotisserie chickens in the supermarket, avos and strawberries all year round (even if it goes against nature but we pay for the privilege anyway), not running out of toilet paper, road signs directing us to wine farms…
None of this was always the case; when Stellenbosch Wine Routes was established in 1971, those familiar brown and white signs with the farms’ names pointing us to the entrances – and upon which we partly rely, along with GPS apps (and given my recent feuds with Google Maps, the physical signs are essential), to find our destination – were prohibited. Apparently, the municipality thought they would distract drivers and affect their ability to keep control of their vehicles. Which is laughable now, considering cellphones. And the proportionate number of idiots on the road 50 years later.
Nora Thiel on Delheim’s history:
I’m going to rewind you to 1930.My dad was born in 1930 in Germany and World War II hit them in ’39. At the time, his aunt and uncle were living in South Africa. They were architect builders, initially in Johannesburg, and they moved to Cape Town with his father to help build UCT and the harbour.
If ever you visit Delheim, look at the house that was built by them when they purchased the farm. A lot of the features are replicated out of the UCT buildings. Even the ivy growing on the house has a similar flair from those beautiful buildings. You might spot a granite slab or two on the steps outside the house.