Arts writer
DELHEIM Wine Estate is offering avid foragers two weekends of wild mushroom hunts in its private forest, for enthusiasts to unearth these elusive, seasonal delicacies and revel in fungi spotting excitement on May 30 and 31, and July 3 and 4 from 10am.
The foraging excursions will be led by Delheim’s Nora Sperling-Thiel and Gary Goldman, a seasoned field expert and mushroom cultivator, and will see intimate groups embarking on 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 a 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.
“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,” says Goldman, 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,” says Goldman who is known for being able to 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,” says Sperling-Thiel 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.
l Tickets: R595 including a foraging basket or bottle of wine with two glasses to take home, and lunch, 021 888 4607.