Monthly Archives: December 2009

Val de Vie Wine and Polo Estate wishes you a blessed festive season and a wonderful new year!

The Val de Vie Wine and Polo Estate recently hosted a unique combination of polo and rock, all on the same day at the same venue! Over 3000 spectators, with VIP passes to The Killers concert, enjoyed the action of two exhibition polo matches prior to the concert. This was the largest crowd to watch polo in the Cape Town area and the spectators were very enthusiastic in their support.

There's no doubt that polo is big news in Cape Town. The sport is a new addition to the “things to do” in Cape Town and with world-class facilities at the Val de Vie Wine and Polo Estate, polo is rapidly becoming a must-do and Val de Vie the place to be seen! With the Sabrage Polo Bar and Restaurant offering welcoming hospitality and an unrivalled spot to watch a match, be sure not to miss the action!

The teams were made up from local regular players at the Val de Vie Polo Club. The first game for the newcomers to polo was between The Romans and Val de Vie, with the hosts keeping victory. The final match between Soetendal Estate (Wellington) and Val de Vie was fiercely contested and had the crowds on their feet in support of their favourite team.

We look forward to many more successful events at Val de Vie Wine and Polo Estate. Don’t miss the next interclub monthly competition on the 22nd to 24th of January 2010. This will be a warm up to the February matches and promises to offer some very competitive polo!

Less than an hour away from Cape Town, Val de Vie is the perfect place to discover the exciting world of polo. Club practices are held during the week and every weekend. For more information about times or lessons at the Polo School, kindly contact Jo on polo@valdevie.co.za.

See you there!

If you visit Val de Vie, you're sure to meet a small personality who is very much part of the stables and polo fields. Her name is "Amadevu" (which means moustaches in Zulu) and she is such a lively little character!

Devu was found at the SPCA waiting for the right home, and she has since adopted John as the most important person in her life (followed closely by the bakkie which allows her to get around and check on the daily activities much quicker than her small legs would allow).

Devu is always around the stables, keeping an eye out for rats and mice and also accustoming the horses to having a dog around. During chukkas she sits under a chair and guards the drinks and snacks, and once everyone is sitting down she likes to find a comfy spot from where she hopes to share some snacks (although she's not so keen on the strange stuff we drink...). She often forms part of the after polo entertainment by galloping in wild circles around the chairs to expend some energy.
Luckily on hot days the sprinkler irrigation offers a great way to cool down.

Very popular with every guest at the polo school, Devu is rapidly becoming one of the most photographed dogs in the world, as every visitor lines her up in the lens! She even joined Jo in the Polo SA Magazine.

Devu loves children - the smaller the better - and has been known to invite herself to parties and weddings in search of small company. As a matter of safety and hygiene dogs are not allowed around the stables or on the polo fields, and Devu is very quick to point out transgressors of this rule! She is not a dog, of course...

Homeowner and mother of Tahila, Maureen, has appointed herself as Devu's fairy godmother and keeps a special eye out for her!

Val de Vie enjoys an enviable position in the heart of the Paarl-Franschhoek Winelands, an area known for it scenic beauty, excellent wines and fine cuisine. There's no doubt that if you're in the Cape Winelands this festive season, you'll discover that there's plenty to do!

After a wine tasting at Val de Vie and the surrounding wine esates, indulge in a fine dining experience at one of the region's many critically acclaimed restaurants. Don't miss Le Quartier Francais and Reuben's in Franschhoek, or Marc's in Paarl.

For those who enjoy spending time outdoors, there are plenty of hiking trails in the surrounding mountains. Visit CapeNature to find out about the various trails that are open to the public.

Keen shoppers can explore the charming antique shops in the historic centres of Paarl and Franschhoek, while history buffs will be intrigued by an array of fascinating museums and monuments.

Sporty visitors are spoilt for choice with golf estates such as Pearl Valley and Boschenmeer being in easy reach. Of course, a polo lesson at Val de Vie would be an unforgettable experience!

For more information about these and many other activities in the area, visit Franschhoek and Paarl's official tourism websites.

Image courtesy of Franschhoek Wine Valley & Tourist Association

Concert promoter Big Concerts, the organisers of The Killers concert, which took place on Sunday, 6th December at Val de Vie Wine and Polo Estate in Cape Town, have expressed their apologies to patrons who experienced traffic congestion when entering and exiting the venue.

Despite a rigorous planning and risk assessment process conducted by the organisers of the concert and regional traffic authorities, the road network around the venue was unable to handle the sheer volume of traffic congestion, which resulted from the event. This was the first time that the venue had been used to host an event of this size. As a consequence of last night’s concert, the experience gained by the organisers will surely be valuable for future events at Val de Vie and other locations in the area.

Additional traffic officers and parking ushers were called in to assist with the load challenge and everything possible was done to untangle the unfortunate gridlock.

It appears from reports that most ticket holders made it in time to see the Killers performance, despite the regrettable and unexpected traffic challenges that they experienced.

Big Concerts has requested that all complaints and comments be addressed to the organizing team by email at info@bigconcerts.co.za, in order to allow for the experience of fans to be considered and improved on for future concerts.

Carina Prins, Anel Steyn and Esther Loubser organised the opening of the wonderful new jungle gym at the Val de Vie lifestyle centre. With perfect blue skies and sunny weather, a lovely party was held for the children of Val de Vie.

Much to the kids' delight, Nugget and Mischka gave several pony rides. Mishchka is still a little nervous of loud noises and people riding her, but she loves to let the children pet and stroke her. Both of the ponies have a real fondness for carrots and Nugget was most disappointed that there wasn’t a goodie bag for him!

It was a fantastic time for the children to get to know each other and have fun in a communal setting – the ideal country lifestyle!

Well done to Carina, Anel and Esther for organising the event.

This Sunday THE KILLERS will be rocking Val de Vie! In keeping with international standards the organisers (BIG Concerts) have invested a great deal of time and effort in order to ensure that both fans and nearby residents enjoys a hassle free experience. Every conceivable logistical challenge has been considered, from traffic management to the general safety and security of patrons.

In order to facilitate the success of this event, the organisers have appealed for fans attending the festival to be especially aware of the traffic challenges that are inevitable when managing an event of this size. In particular fans are advised of the following:

• Sharing of rides (i.e. carpooling) is encouraged. The more people we have in each car the less pressure there is on traffic entering and exiting the venue (and besides - it reduces your carbon emissions);
• Fans are advised to arrive at the venue as early as possible in order to prevent pressure on the roads approaching the estate. Gates are scheduled to open at 16:00.
• No concert tickets shall be available for sale at the venue and should you not have pre-purchased a ticket you are advised not to come through in the hope of securing one;
• The show will be over by 22:30 and we expect traffic volumes to have eased by midnight.
• Safe and secure parking facilities have been made available on the estate. Clear signage from the approaching arterial roads will be visible indicating the entrance to the parking area. A map detailing the suggested approach routes is available online at www.heineken.co.za

Val de Vie residents recently had a very special guest when Santa decided to pay a visit! During a party for the Homeowners at Val de Vie which was organised by Carina Prins, Father Christmas arrived on a polo pony (we admit, it was actually John and Matthew, accompanied by Nugget!).

The kids were absolutely delighted with the surprise visit, complete with a large bag of goodies carried on Santa’s shoulder. There was plenty of excitement and there's no doubt that the younger residents had loads of festive fun.