Off the beaten track, and worth every turn

This rosé is my current obsession – and for good reason. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, it carries distinctive aromas of strawberry, red cherry and pomegranate, and finishes dry, crisp and lingering. Think pink candy floss, with tart acidity reminiscent of Pink Lady apples and a nose full of gooseberry and passionfruit. The kind of wine that tastes like wherever you are, you’re exactly where you should be.

It’s made at Black Oystercatcher – a family farm that has been worked for generations, sitting between Elim, Bredasdorp and Agulhas in the Overberg, with vines only planted in 1998, making it one of the first in the cool maritime ward of Elim. I found it off the beaten track, the way the best places usually are. It has the feel of somewhere that doesn’t need to try hard, because it doesn’t have to. What struck me most was its unpretentious beauty.

We took the boys – inadvisable under normal circumstances, given my tendency to spend an unreasonable amount of time in front of a wine list. The pool redeemed the decision entirely. Brackish, beautiful, and apparently monster-free enough to keep them occupied for a full bottle's worth of time.

We went for the full eight, naturally favouring the rosé, and I didn’t even make it to the MCC tasting – which feels like a very good excuse to go back. Halfway through, the farm dogs appeared: five or so of them, ambling quietly between the tables. Not begging, not performing. Simply saying hello.

Black Oystercatcher is exactly the kind of place that makes you feel fortunate to have stumbled upon it. Off the beaten track, unhurried, and genuinely beautiful. I’m told there’s a fireplace inside too – which means it’s just as worth the drive in autumn.

Black Oystercatcher Wines - Moddervlei Farm, between Elim, Bredasdorp & Agulhas, Overberg  ·  Open Tuesday–Sunday, 11h00–14h30  ·  Booking essential  ·  blackoystercatcher.co.za