Delheim spreads their blankets for laid-back Riverside Picnics

I am so happy that summer is almost here :)Picnic season at Delheim is from 1 October 2016-end April 2017 and the restaurant has a new nature-inspired menu.I need to go back to try this!  Why not rally your friends and head to Delheim. The ultimate picnic experience awaits in a beautiful setting at the edge of the Klip River with its abundant bird life.Brimming with all things homemade and share-worthy, your basket of epicurean bliss costs R460 per couple. For starters, there’s a selection of cheeses, charcuterie, pickled pumpkin, biltong, crusty bread and hummus. Then, tuck into the more substantial indulgences - a kidney bean and sweet corn salsa, two salads, one of watermelon, the other a chicken Caesar; a yummy roast beef bagel with all the trimmings and a decadent mini milk tart. A vegetarian option is also on offer. Each basket comes with a bottle of zesty Delheim Sauvignon Blanc, the estate’s famous Pinotage Rosé, or a bottle of Delheim Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz - a firm favourite amongst red wine lovers. Children’s baskets are available at R100 each and contain finger-licking goodies such as chicken wing lollipops with baby potatoes and cucumber, juice as well as cheese and crackers. Each kiddies’ box comes with home-baked cookies, which they can immediately set about decorating too.“Our historic farm offers a serene setting to coax the entire family to ditch their electronic devices and connect with nature instead,” says Delheim Destination Manager, Charlotte Terblanche. “Before settling down for a picnic, some of the grown-ups might want to saddle up for a session on our mountain bike trail. Then, after lawn games with the kids, conclude your picnic with some cloud-spotting and our cupcake and wine pairing.”“It’s pure winelands bliss and the reason we use the tagline, ‘Worth the Journey’ for Delheim,” says Terblanche.Besides memorable family outings, Delheim’s Riverside Picnics are also perfect for end-of-year celebrations, corporate outings, entertaining the in-laws during the holidays, a stork teaal fresco style, or a relaxed pre-wedding social before a loved one ties the knot.The estate is a strong follower of sustainable farming, and is passionately committed to the conservation and the rehabilitation of their natural habitat and indigenous flora. With these Riverside Picnics they invite people to reconnect with Delheim and its carefully preserved natural environment.Delheim’s popular Garden Restaurant, with views of the farm and Table Mountain in the distance, is also in full summer swing. Its brand new menu eschews the elaborate and echoes the simple tastes and sublime flavours and textures unique to the season. “I’m so over complicated dishes with 16 components on the plate… a clichéd artwork of smears and blobs,” declares Chef Bruce von Pressentin, who harvests most of his greens from the new organic vegetable and herb garden on the estate. “At Delheim, we keep it simple, fresh and real with an earthy charm.”“Our new summer menu is a fusion of simple, contemporary creations from across the world, where the quality of the ingredients is allowed to speak for itself. To me, plain fare that tastes great is a sign of a really good cook.”Some of the showstoppers on his summer menu include sautéed prawns with Delheim vine leaves, fresh tomato coulis and tempura basil leaves. Vegetarians will love the panko crumbed aubergine with forest phantom-ashed goat’s cheese and caponata, spruced up with a roasted garlic and tomato sauce, shaved parmesan and rocket pesto.Amongst the mains, meat aficionados will fancy the ostrich fillet with sweet potato puree, red cabbage kimchi and salted caramel toffee apple with a zesty apple cider jus. Dessert temptations to end your lunch experience on a decadent high include a light litchi panna cotta with watermelon and chamomile consommé, festooned with a fennel seed tuille, fruit brunoise and rose petal reduction.The Delheim Riverside Picnics (R460 per basket which serves two people, R100 per child) are on offer seven days a week and should be pre-booked at the restaurant on Tel: 021 888 4607 or at restaurant@delheim.com. Blankets are available with payment of a R100 refundable deposit.Delheim’s Garden Restaurant is also open seven days a week. Reserve a cosy spot inside or outside on the terrace.Share your experience with me by using the hashtag on instagram #WineGirlCTtrythis or with Delheim on Twitter @Delheim, Facebook and Instagram.