I am writing this post with a heavy heart but also seeing the need to make sure that I memorialise a place i held close to my heart. Back in my early 20s, before the kids and bills, my then-boyfriend ,now-husband and I would take trips down to the cape to explore the vast wine routes the province has to offer.  Out first trip brought us to the Durbanville region because of its proximity to Cape Town city centre, where we staying. There are a lot of commercial farms located here but we found a gem that took my breath away, Altydgedacht.

The wine farm was not as pretty as the others but had a homey vibe that I can’t really describe. The wines held the same quality as the aesthetics of the place. They had a small selection, made small batches  and they did not compromise on the quality. One notable and memorable wine was their MCC. I had never tasted anything that excited me more about the offerings of the smaller wineries in South Africa. I loved their MCC so much, I wanted to have it my wedding but the cost of shipping it up and corkage fee at the hotel was so high that I landed up getting a few bottles for my family and I to sip on.

I loved their MCC so much that we returned to that same wine farm 3 more times in the span of 3 years. Our last visit was one where the first bit of uncertainty came into play. They had reduced their production of MCC (they stopped serving it at tastings) and there was talk of the family owned farm, selling, but the person serving us the wine didn’t know much else. While doing my research now, I see that the six generation family owned farm closed commercially in June 2023 and they are only doing direct sales. I was able to purchase a bottle of their 2022 Barbera, an Italian grape that was able to adapt to the Durbanville climate and mature well (Photo below).

My husband and I first sat in their tastings planning our lives together and in less than 10 years later, we’ve had to come to terms with the fact that we can’t visit that same area again. Although it hurts, it still holds such a great memory for us when I look at the life we planned and made so well.

Goodbye, Altydgedacht.