Winelands of the Cape – Chris Jansen

Condition: Good.
First Edition, Don Nelson, 1980, Large-format Hardback with removable protective plastic wrap – Africana – 113pp.

Captured between the covers of this book is one of those rare ‘finds’ in the publishing world — a magnificent photographic experience coupled with an enchanting and informative text — for few know this exquisite tip of the African continent better than Chris Jansen who has photographed its natural wonders, its wines and its people for some 15 years.

Chris takes the reader on an intimate journey through the world’s most beautiful winelands, across its lush valleys and rugged mountains, through its icy streams and into the homes and hearts of its people, sharing their pranks, their heartbreaks and successes. The stories were gleaned from years of close fellowship with the winemakers themselves, told on many a cold night into the wee hours of the morning “over a good red.” Whimsically written and fun to read, the ‘Cape Winelands’ tells how ‘Lang’ Wouter de Vos of Le Grand Chasseur planted Colombard by mistake and gave birth to one of South Africa’s finest table wines; of Johnnie Rabie who went to Germany to get an artificial hand and came back with an entire train, tracks and all. The stories are sheer delight, some witty, some sad, all enchanting.

There are few books which fit into the category of “every home should have one” but this is one of them for it not only tells of the characters of the Cape winelands, their homes and their wines but also of the flora and fauna that abounded there, camping and fishing facilities available, restaurants and guest houses, surprising information on museums and farms open to the public on weekdays and weekends.

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