The
legendary Delheim Wine Estate is offering avid foragers two ex-cep-tional
weekends of wild mushroom hunts in its private forest, for enthusiasts to
unearth theses elusive, seasonal delicacies and revel in fungi spotting
excitement on 30 & 31 May and 3 & 4 July.
These
foraging excursions are led by Delheim’s Nora Sperling-Thiel and Gary Goldman,
a seasoned field expert and mushroom cultivator, and will see intimate groups
setting foot for a magical ‘walk on the wild side’, in search of these delicious
gems, lurking right there under one’s nose. The whole idea is for visitors to
hone their foraging feelers and become comfortable in picking their own
mushrooms, whilst embracing the lost art of seasonal foraging.
After
an exhilarating morning, engaging in ‘the silent hunt’ amidst towering pine
trees and indigenous flora, foragers will be rewarded with a mushroom-inspired
three-course lunch in the historic Vat Cellar which promises to leave the taste
buds euphoric.
“No
one should fear the fungi! I will give a short lecture on edible and poisonous
mushrooms before we trot off into the forest, so that you know how to identify
the good, the bad and the ugly and really enjoy this magical spot at
Delheim. There are old mushroom hunters and there are bold mushroom hunters,
but there are no bold, old mushroom hunters,” shares Gary who goes by the
moniker The Mushroom Hunter.
“Most
mushroom pickers are very tight-lipped about the whereabouts of their sources
so this is a golden opportunity,” adds an elated Gary who can spot a
camouflaged porcini in no time.
“Mushrooms
simmering in garlic butter is one of my all time favourite smells and evoke
fond childhood memories. It is just so much more rewarding if you know where it
came from...and even better so if you have foraged it yourself,” adds Nora who
grew up on the farm and learned to pick wild mushrooms from her
mother.
There are
only 40 spots available per day as Delheim treasures a delicate balance between
sharing their ‘family passion’ and protecting their natural habitat.
This
exploration of the hidden world of the fungi starts at 10am and tickets cost
R595 per person. A ticket includes a choice of an exclusive mushroom foraging
basket or a Delheim bottle of wine and two glasses to take home; the
insightful lecture on mushroom identification; the forest forage, as
well as the mushroom-themed three course lunch and a glass of Delheim wine.
Pre-booking
are essential and given the intimate nature of these events, no group bookings
are allowed. For more information or to secure your spot contact Tel:
021 888 4600 or send an email to info@delheim.com.
Delheim was the
originator of the now-popular concept of fungi foraging events in the country
and has since definitely managed to raise awareness for mushroom
foraging in South Africa. Although these events take place at the
time of year when there is the largest chance of finding wild mushrooms and the
‘moon is right’, Delheim cannot guarantee that you will find any on the day.