I love the wildness of the windswept southern-most part of the African continent, in places such as Die Dam, Wolvengat and Baardskeerdersbos. It is not strange then to find enchanting wines produced from vineyards in this region with equally fascinating names: Ghost Corner, Pofadderbos and Black Oystercatcher.

The lovely garden overlooking farmland. Photo by Crispian Brown.

Now that the road through Baardskeerdersbos to Elim and Bredasdorp has been tarred it’s even easier to visit the area. Be sure then to visit the town of Elim with its thatched houses and majestic Moravian church, or stop off for a wine tasting at Strandveld Wines or lunch at the eatery at Black Oystercatcher.

We love to come to Black Oystercatcher and enjoy the sunshine outside at the north-facing tables or to take a wander through the veggie garden and sample some of the wine.

The venison pot pie. Photo by Crispian Brown.

You can’t do a tasting at the table, so last time we were there we made up our own and ordered single glasses of the sauvignon blanc, Pearl (savvy b and semillon blend), Triton (red blend) and the merlot/cabernet blend, all of which are very quaffable.

The glorious steak pan. Photo by Irna van Zyl.

I ordered my favourite dish, the steak pan with medium-rare chunks of rump steak served with mushrooms. Emma loved her Thai chicken curry (it’s usually served with prawns) and Crispian, always careful to order something different from the rest, was very pleased with his venison pot pie special, with a yummy cranberry-and-beetroot side. All were served on pretty little dishes or wooden boards.

Of course, we had desserts, too, and were not disappointed with our cheesecake (for me) and chocolate fondant (for Crispian).

The chocolate fondant didn’t disappoint. Photo by Crispian Brown.

Visiting Black Oystercatcher is more than a good excuse to frequently spend some time in the area – especially now that the whales have arrived. Whilst there, do consider visiting Baardskeerdersbos en route. Twice a year the local artists open their homes to visitors on what is known as the B-Bos art route, and on the last weekend of the month there is a fabulous market in the Strandveld pub building.

The Thai chicken curry. Photo by Crispian Brown.

Children are always welcome at Black Oystercatcher, but other people’s pets not. In summer you’ll find the kids spending time in the pool or posing for selfies with the farm’s old and docile Weimaraner. The cheeky Yorkshire terrier, however, might not like the attention that much.

Remember to book; it really is very popular – and rightly so.

The weimaraner is the friendlier of the two hounds. Photo by Irna van Zyl.