Rickety Bridge: Our Favorite Wine Farm
On my very first birthday in South Africa, Kim took me for a trip on the Franschhoek Wine Tram. For those of you who know, you know. For those of you who don’t, imagine a party bus where you can hop on and off, drink all the wine, all in the company of other…ahem…wine connoisseurs.
Our second stop on that very fateful trip was Rickety Bridge Winery. It was a beautiful November day, the sun was shining, and I remember just being in awe of the view as we sat on the outside deck enjoying our wine tasting. I also remember being absolutely blown away by the wines, particularly the Printer’s Devil range.
Over the last three years, Kim and I have become ‘regulars’ at Rickety Bridge. The wines are great, the views are sublime, and the food is five star quality, but that’s not what keeps us coming back.
Most wine farms have a ‘wine club’ you can join where you get a discount on cellar prices and maybe they might throw in first shot at tickets to something like a winemaker’s dinner or a free tasting.
Not at Rickety Bridge.
Rickety Bridge’s Lizzie Groenewald, their Wine Club and National Sales Manager has elevated experiences on the wine farm to a whole new level. Her passion for wine, love for Rickety Bridge, and drive to provide an exceptional and unforgettable experience for customers has brought about some of my favourite moments since moving to South Africa.
Over the years we’ve participated in:
A Springbok and Shiraz vertical pairing
Two Potjie experiences complete with a MasterChef style competition
A Chenin Blanc masterclass with a vertical tasting of my favorite varietal
An MCC brunch with a sabrage lesson
An exclusive vintage wine and food pairing
Rickety’s first harvest festival open to the public
I’m sure I’m missing a couple of experiences, but I think you get the idea.
To say Rickety Bridge goes above and beyond doesn’t do it justice.
The Wines
We almost never have a shortage of Rickety Bridge wines in our house. We even have an entire rack dedicated to ‘No Touchy’ Rickety Bridge wines that we’ll enjoy over the years. Whether it’s red, white, rose, or bubbles, there’s one that will tickle your tastebuds. Our personal favorites are:
In the summer: Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Semillon, and Foundation Stone White and Rose
In the winter: All the reds…seriously.
I gifted my daughter and her husband a fabulous bottle of their Crossover Pinotage for their wedding just a few months ago, one they can open on their first anniversary. It’s an incredible wine, and we have one sitting just happily aging away in our wine rack as well.
So, you can see why Rickety Bridge is our favourite wine farm, hands down. In what is definitely a crowded space, Rickety Bridge stands head and shoulders above the competition. Other wine farms could learn a lot from the folks at Rickety.
The Details
Rickety Bridge is located in beautiful Franschhoek and you can reach them at:
Phone: +27 21 876 2129
Email: info@ricketybridge.com
