The Purple Trumpet guesthouse hosted a marvellous evening of fine dining with wine pairing courtesy of the outstanding wine estate Vrede & Lust. The stylish backdrop of sleek white and soothing contemporary music tones created the ideal setting for an evening of culinary delight.

Nico Davel introduced the wine connoisseurs to the exquisite Stellenbosch estate, situated at the foothills of the Simonsberg. A unique element of the estate is the two formidable female winemakers. In equal standing with their male counter-parts, they have raked in the awards, including winemaker of the year in 2007.

Another delectable evening of fine dining and superb wines! Cynthia’s Indigo Moon hosted us for the second time (we just love their upstairs private dining area so much that we had to book it out again!) The Waterford Estate came to dazzle us with their selection of outstanding vintages. And the delicious dishes complimented the wines perfectly.

The Waterford Estate is relatively young in the wine game, founded in 1998 when Jeremy and Leigh Ord purchased the prime Stellenbosch vineyard land. It was previously part of the Stellenrust Farm. Kevin and Heather Arnold, good friends of the Ord family, were responsible for identifying the exclusive site. These two families had a shared dream, in their words “to create a wine farm where life is cherished, the seasons mark time and the fruit always reminds of blessings, abundance and the beauty of nature”.

We kicked off our 2013 Wine Club season in style at Bronberg Wynlandgoed. This charming restaurant and wedding venue was opened in April 2010, with buildings in the typical Cape Dutch style and interiors reminiscent of stylish wine cellars. The perfect location for a decadent evening of wine pairing!

Vrede & Lust wine estate complimented the dishes prepared by the Bronberg team impeccably. Situated at the foothills of the Simonsberg, this exquisite estate boasts with a history that goes as far back as 1688. Nico Davel took us on a virtual journey, with colourful stories of the estate’s origins and wine philosophy.

We couldn’t resist, we squeezed one more wine club in for the year! A great way to end the year with a big bang, we had the pleasure of tasting the lovely wines from De Morgenzon Wine Estate, with wines from their Garden Vineyards and DMZ ranges.

And our host for the evening, the Blu Saffron restaurant, complimented the wines perfectly with their wonderful dishes. The careful pairing brought out the best qualities in each glass of wine. With its understated elegance, the restaurant’s private dining area creates a great intimate setting.

We've created a list of must-see and must-do things in our lovely city. From cultural and historic, to outdoor activities, to leisure. Incorporate exploring our city into your monthly schedule and find out again why you love staying in Pretoria.

We may not have a big mountain to stare at or a beach to stroll on, but our city still has many thrills and joys to embrace.

Leave a comment on the blog post to tell us which activity was your favourite, or give us some of your own ideas for what should be added to the Pretoria Bucket List.

"We are always either leaving a storm, heading into a storm or in the middle of a storm" – African American saying.  A unique gallery space has been created at Kievitskroon, with art tucked away in their 41 Library Bar and Granita Signature Restaurant.  This lovely country estate has a deep appreciation for art and decided to formally host an exhibition after numerous art displays in the restaurant area.

What separates man from the beasts? How did we end up the dominating species on our little blue planet, right at the top of the food chain? Was it the use of tools, or the need to cultivate things, the use of language, maybe? The sum total of all the possible reasons distilled, is something we call "culture and civilisation".  It can be successfully argued that in the manic pace of the modern world (the rat race to get ahead with corporate gerbils treading furiously on the spinning wheel of the road to nowhere) the catastrophe of fast food and the resulting avalanche of health problems, mental disease and mass obesity (can you put these two words together?) is that this process of civilisation is showing signs of a shaky regression.