The much-awaited Wine & Wildlife Safari has come and gone.
“Passionate”, “Exciting”, “Intense”, “Fresh”, “Sensual” and “Colour” are words that are often
heard associated with the bush, but could equally be associated with wine. It is therefore understandable that Steve Bolnick and Peter Finlayson cooperated to design a safari-with-a-twist at Umlani Bush Camp in the Timbavati.
The safari held over the extended weekend of 19th – 22nd June was an indulgence in wine and wildlife. While Steve is an expert bush guide and Peter is a renowned wine-maker they are both passionate about wine and the bush and therefore make for the perfect team to host such a unique safari experience.
By day Steve led walks and game drives (assisted by the talented
Umlani guides) through the Timbavati. The highlights were seeing a lion-kill and cheetah on game drives, tracking lion on foot and seeing a civet on a walk. In general the game viewing was excellent. The Nhlaralumi River 
runs through the Umlani property and provides for beautiful walking and great diversity of trees. The walks provided the perfect opportunity for birding and discussions about ecology as well as more esoteric debates about the state of our planet. One of the participants summed it up - “I enjoyed meeting Steve & Peter as well as the whole wildlife experience. I very much enjoyed Steve’s in-depth knowledge of the environment and his ability to share it in an interesting and entertaining fashion”.
In the evenings over dinner, Peter took charge, introducing the participants to superb wines of
the world on three themed-wine-evenings. On the first evening elephants milled around the dining-room, while the guests sampled classic German Riesling from Kloster Eberbach in the Rheingau. Over dinner the theme was “Bordeaux styled wines” and featured Chateaux Giscours, Margaux, Bordeaux 1998 vintage -3rd Growth (France), Beyerskloof Blend 1998 (Stellenbosch) and Oak Valley Blend 2004 (Elgin) for comparative tasting. For additional comparison Saronsberg’s “Seismic” 2004 was tasted. The latter is not a classic Bordeaux blend, being composed of a mix of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Malbec, and its introduction prompted an animated discussion regarding the importance of “structure” in wine and the need to balance tannins.
On the second evening everyone relaxed with The Oak Valley Sauvignon and Bouchard Finlayson Blanc de Mer. At dinner the focus was on the influence of the principal Italian grape from the Piedmont area - Nebbiolo and featured one of Peter’s own iconic wines – Bouchard Finlayson “Hannibal” 2003. This was contrasted with two blended wines from Barolo in the Piedmont area of Italy, which is also dominated by the magical Nebiolo grape. These were Barolo 1998, Cascina Ballarin, Tre Ciabot and L’ Insieme, 2004 Elio Altare.
The night of the winter equinox was welcomed with two of Peter’s whites
(Bouchard Finlayson. Kaaimansgat Chardonnay and Bouchard Finlayson Missionvale Chardonnay 2007), and was subsequently dedicated to the Burgundy influence and the inimitable Pinot Noir. In this category the wines compared were Chavelier des Tastevins,Volnay Santenots 1990 (Burgundy, France) and Bouchard Finlayson Galpin Peak Pinot noir vintages 1996, 2005 & 2006. The Galpin Peak 1996 was the first vintage of its type and it was fascinating to compare the three vintages of the same wine and track the evolution of the winemakers’ style.
In light of the success of this first Wine & Wildlife Safari and the enthusiasm for follow-up, the team will be offering another similar themed safari in The Greater Kruger Park in September this year as well as a planning a longer Botswana wine & wildlife safari for 2009. Whether it’s the downturn in the economy or your green-sensibility, this is an excellent opportunity to avoid burning expensive fossil fuels to reach a foreign destination for your holiday this year. Be proudly South African and have a fantastic unique local getaway.
If you are interested please contact untamed@telkomsa.net or capetown@stevebolnicksafaris.com
“Passionate”, “Exciting”, “Intense”, “Fresh”, “Sensual” and “Colour” are words that are often
heard associated with the bush, but could equally be associated with wine. It is therefore understandable that Steve Bolnick and Peter Finlayson cooperated to design a safari-with-a-twist at Umlani Bush Camp in the Timbavati.
The safari held over the extended weekend of 19th – 22nd June was an indulgence in wine and wildlife. While Steve is an expert bush guide and Peter is a renowned wine-maker they are both passionate about wine and the bush and therefore make for the perfect team to host such a unique safari experience.By day Steve led walks and game drives (assisted by the talented
Umlani guides) through the Timbavati. The highlights were seeing a lion-kill and cheetah on game drives, tracking lion on foot and seeing a civet on a walk. In general the game viewing was excellent. The Nhlaralumi River 
runs through the Umlani property and provides for beautiful walking and great diversity of trees. The walks provided the perfect opportunity for birding and discussions about ecology as well as more esoteric debates about the state of our planet. One of the participants summed it up - “I enjoyed meeting Steve & Peter as well as the whole wildlife experience. I very much enjoyed Steve’s in-depth knowledge of the environment and his ability to share it in an interesting and entertaining fashion”.In the evenings over dinner, Peter took charge, introducing the participants to superb wines of
the world on three themed-wine-evenings. On the first evening elephants milled around the dining-room, while the guests sampled classic German Riesling from Kloster Eberbach in the Rheingau. Over dinner the theme was “Bordeaux styled wines” and featured Chateaux Giscours, Margaux, Bordeaux 1998 vintage -3rd Growth (France), Beyerskloof Blend 1998 (Stellenbosch) and Oak Valley Blend 2004 (Elgin) for comparative tasting. For additional comparison Saronsberg’s “Seismic” 2004 was tasted. The latter is not a classic Bordeaux blend, being composed of a mix of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Malbec, and its introduction prompted an animated discussion regarding the importance of “structure” in wine and the need to balance tannins.
On the second evening everyone relaxed with The Oak Valley Sauvignon and Bouchard Finlayson Blanc de Mer. At dinner the focus was on the influence of the principal Italian grape from the Piedmont area - Nebbiolo and featured one of Peter’s own iconic wines – Bouchard Finlayson “Hannibal” 2003. This was contrasted with two blended wines from Barolo in the Piedmont area of Italy, which is also dominated by the magical Nebiolo grape. These were Barolo 1998, Cascina Ballarin, Tre Ciabot and L’ Insieme, 2004 Elio Altare.The night of the winter equinox was welcomed with two of Peter’s whites
(Bouchard Finlayson. Kaaimansgat Chardonnay and Bouchard Finlayson Missionvale Chardonnay 2007), and was subsequently dedicated to the Burgundy influence and the inimitable Pinot Noir. In this category the wines compared were Chavelier des Tastevins,Volnay Santenots 1990 (Burgundy, France) and Bouchard Finlayson Galpin Peak Pinot noir vintages 1996, 2005 & 2006. The Galpin Peak 1996 was the first vintage of its type and it was fascinating to compare the three vintages of the same wine and track the evolution of the winemakers’ style.
In light of the success of this first Wine & Wildlife Safari and the enthusiasm for follow-up, the team will be offering another similar themed safari in The Greater Kruger Park in September this year as well as a planning a longer Botswana wine & wildlife safari for 2009. Whether it’s the downturn in the economy or your green-sensibility, this is an excellent opportunity to avoid burning expensive fossil fuels to reach a foreign destination for your holiday this year. Be proudly South African and have a fantastic unique local getaway.If you are interested please contact untamed@telkomsa.net or capetown@stevebolnicksafaris.com
