How many of you out there belong to a wine club? I’ve had a love affair with wine for many years now (too many to count!). And what better place to indulge in all things wine then the lovely Mother City and surrounds.

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I was on my Twitter account one day when I came across First Sunday Wine. Anything with the word wine in it grabs my attention. Intrigued, I sent a tweet or two and voila! I was now a member of the club. How easy was that? My hubby finds it quite amusing that I’ll just go and meet up with people I don’t know. I enjoy that sort of thing, especially when you share a love and passion for food and wine. I’m sure you can tell that we have different personalities!

What I really like about this wine club is that it’s a casual, uncomplicated get together held on the first Sunday of each month at a different wine estate in and around Cape Town. Each person in the club can volunteer to arrange a wine tasting and lunch.

So this past Sunday, we met up at the family owned Silvermist Vineyards. Situated on the uppermost slopes of the lush Constantia Valley, this picturesque wine estate is fanned by cool breezes from both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The farm falls within the Table Mountain National Park and has an amazing range of fynbos and forests. Bird and wild animals are prolific in this area.

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The strong summer winds were blowing a gale. Fortunately, the Green Vine Eatery caters for this and we whiled away a couple of lazy hours on the sheltered patio overlooking the pretty garden while listening to live music.

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We started off with the wine tasting and at R50 for four tasters (Three whites and one red), it might be considered steep by some. But then again, these are certified organic wines so I think it’s reasonable.

I’m not a white wine drinker but thought I’d give them a try. I was pleasantly surprised. The one Sauvignon Blanc in particular was light and fragrant with a hint of citrus. The Silvermist RocketDog Red (named after the wine maker, Gregory Brink Louw’s dog) was my favourite. But then again, I do love my reds!

Now to the food! The Green Vine Eatery menu fits on one page, but there were enough options for us to choose from. Along with the weekly Sunday roast, they also had a gnocchi served with bacon and baby peas in a white white sauce. I should probably have had a salad but since I’m a sucker for gnocchi, my mind was made up almost immediately. I’m sure I was an Italian in my previous life ha!

Quite a few opted for the Gourmet Vine Burger (nominated in the best gourmet burger on a Wine Farm category in the Klink Awards). The Local Goats Cheese Salad and Quinoa Salad with free-range chicken proved to be a popular choice.

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Now back to my gnocchi. It was the perfect choice for me and simply sublime! Gnocchi can be a hit-and-miss with stodgy dumplings but these were just perfect. Homemade, light and fluffy dumplings that were full of flavour and just melted in your mouth – a definite winner! It was also very filling so I took some home for dinner.

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Everyone loved their huge gourmet burgers and the salads were declared delicious.

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The only slight hiccup we had was when the wine tasting bill arrived and a bottle of wine was billed incorrectly. We quickly discovered that the restaurant had given us 3 different menus all with different prices. It was sorted out fairly quickly and I do hope that Management ensures they now have 1 menu with the correct prices.

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Would I return? Absolutely. It’s a great spot for a leisurely breakfast or lunch. The service is good and the prices are fairly reasonable. The food was fresh and tasty, a good selection of wine and beers and there is plenty of space for kids to run around and play, not to mention breathtaking vineyard and mountain views. I’ll definitely be back for that delish gnocchi and I know my hubby would love the Gourmet Vine Burger.

Have you been here before? I’d love to hear your experience.