Vergelegen Wine Estate, Somerset West renowned for its fabulous food, exquisite wines and breathtaking gardens in Somerset West, has unveiled delectable new menu options for its famous white table-cloth summer picnics.
The setting for this epicurean adventure is as remarkable as the food itself. Guests stroll through a magnificent rose garden filled with colourful blooms and exquisite scents, to the picnic setting in an atmospheric camphor tree forest. Dappled sunlight filters through the tree canopy to create a tranquil, magical atmosphere.
Drawing inspiration from this natural beauty, the picnic menus are a symphony of flavours, textures and visual delights. Standard, vegetarian, vegan and children’s options are available, ordered in advance. Guests receive their picnics in traditional wicker baskets and enjoy the feast seated at elegantly decorated tables.
Standard picnics (R420 per person) include Franschhoek smoked-salmon trout mousse, farm pork pie, and Scotch egg served with piccalilli and farm chutney, plus mini-French butternut and blue-cheese quiche with red-wine onion marmalade.
This order also includes a selection of cheeses and home-cured charcuterie, coronation chicken with toasted almonds, coleslaw with pomegranates in a pineapple and coriander dressing, and new potato salad with capers, dill, sweet pickles and home-made mayonnaise.
Vegetarian menu (R420 per person) offerings include wild-mushroom-and-herb mousse, butternut and blue-cheese quiche, cheeses, chickpea-and-lentil salad with basil vinaigrette, coleslaw, new potato salad, and spanakopita with tzatziki.
Standard and vegetarian menus include tiramisu dessert and filter coffee.
Vegan menu (R495 per person) items are similar to the vegetarian menu, but with vegan cheese and vegan spanakopita. Dessert is a vegan chocolate brownie with chocolate ganache and berries.
Children’s picnics (R180 per child, age 3-10) include pizza pasta salad, a parmesan-crusted chicken-breast wrap with lettuce and cheddar cheese, carrot sticks with cream-and-herb cheese dip, watermelon spears and a dessert of soft-serve ice cream with toppings, plus jelly sweets and cheesy popcorn.
Vergelegen wines are served, plus mineral water and soft drinks.
Booking information: Picnics are served daily from November to April next year. Baskets are collected 12:15-13:30, closes 16:30. Reservations must be made 24 hours in advance, specifying dietary preferences. To book, email picnic@vergelegen.co.za or call 021 847 2111. Access the menus and beverage list at https://vergelegen.co.za/restaurants/picnics-at-vergelegen/.
Address: Vergelegen Wine Estate, Lourensford Road.
Estate entrance fee: R20 for adults, R10 for pensioners/scholars.
