Getaway Tuesdays – Serenity (and wine) in McGregor

This is part 2 in my Getaway Tuesdays series – if you missed part 1, hop on over here:  Visiting the Robertson Wine Valley

So after drinking our way through the Robertson Wine Valley, we finally settled in McGregor.  For those who have never heard of / been to this cute little village, here are some fast facts courtesy of Wikipedia:

McGregor is a small village in the mountains of the Western Cape, South Africa. It is roughly 150 km east of Cape Town. It is located in Ward 5 of the Breede River Winelands Municipality.
The village was established in 1861 and was originally called Lady Grey. It was renamed in 1905 in honour of Rev. Andrew McGregor, who had been the Dutch Reformed Church minister of the Robertson District for forty years. It has become somewhat of a magnet for alternative lifestyles.

McGregor is everything you’d expect from a good country getaway spot – friendly people, cute little shops, pretty houses, yummy food options & limited cellphone reception. 😉  (trust me – to completely unwind, that definitely is a plus)

Dinner that evening took place at Tebaldi’s in Voortrekker Street (basically the main road of McGregor).  Tebaldi’s is open Tue – Sun for breakfast & lunch, on Wed & Thu evenings they do a village menu with some relaxed country cuisine, and on Fri & Sat evenings they offer an a la carte menu.

We were hosted in their super cosy Poetry Library which is usually available for your private functions.  Here we were welcomed by the team from Rooiberg Winery who had prepared a wine tasting for us to enjoy along with an extra special 4 course dinner menu.

Rooiberg Winery (as you can see from the list above) produces a wide range of wines.  The MCC on the menu wasn’t theirs, but they do have a range of sparkling wines which you can have a look at here.  Then their Rooiberg Reserve range contains some beautiful reds and whites which I suggest you try if you happen to spot it on a supermarket shelf.  And for those who like a bit of sweetness, they also do a Cape Vintage Port & Red Muscadel.

Now apart from serving up a mean dinner… And also being a lovely spot for breakfast/lunch on a sunny day:

It’s actually the restaurant linked to Temenos Retreat – a wellness escape of sorts that offers silent retreats with a programme that includes walks, meditation, yoga, and vegetarian breakfasts & suppers.

I’m not big on retreats myself, especially the silent types (because let’s be honest, I rarely manage to keep my mouth shut as it is), but even as a bit of a skeptic, I have to admit – while roaming through their beautiful garden, I did feel a great sense of peace and calm – something which definitely is quite rare in today’s city slicker lifestyle…  So would I try it?  Yeah possibly…

Let me show you around:

Of course a setting like this is perfect for Weddings – they offer various packages & options which you can read about over here.

Accommodation wise:  Temenos has 14 beautiful cottages.  You can choose between double or twin beds and bathrooms with a shower or a bath.  All of their cottages are en suite & have private patios along with a fireplace.  It’s fully equipped for self catering, but you can of course also grab your meals at Tebaldi’s.

For enquiries or more info, you can contact the Temenos team on:

• Tel: 023 625 1871
• Email: temenos@lando.co.za

Then also keep an eye out next Tuesday and I continue with my McGregor exploration…

xxx