Ex-CEP-tional fungi
excursions in the forest on a legendary wine farm
Issued by: Random Hat Communications Issued
on behalf of: Delheim
16 & 17 June 2014
Join a small group of
avid fungi foragers, eccentric hobbyists and amateur mycologists, when Delheim Estate sets foot in the forest for its exclusive Wild Mushroom Hunts, in search
of these elusive, seasonal delicacies on 16 & 17 June 2014.
While many fungi fans
remain tight lipped about their favourite hunting spots, Delheim’s Nora
Sperling-Thiel welcomes foraging fans to join her and Gary Goldman – an enthusiastic
mushroom expert and cultivator who goes by the moniker Mushroom Guru –
for a walk on the ‘wild side’ on this legendary Stellenbosch wine estate
to indulge in some mushroom magic.
“I grew up on the farm
and learned to pick mushrooms from my mother. Knowing that this is one of the
most exhilarating experiences, I decided to make it open to the public once a
year so that they can learn more and also enjoy what we have. Gary can identify
most of the wild mushrooms around here – edible and inedible. He can spot a
camouflaged porcini in no time and under his watchful eye, we teach visitors to
become comfortable in picking their own mushrooms, which is the whole idea
after all,” explains Delheim’s co-owner Nora Sperling-Thiel.
Your day starts with an
insightful lecture on wild mushrooms and armed with all the newly acquired
knowledge, you will then gear up for an enchanting excursion through the pine
forest on the farm to get up close and personal with the edible and poisonous
mushrooms on the estate. After working up an appetite hunting for varieties
ranging from pine-rings to ceps, guests will be rewarded with a mouth-watering
mushroom-themed buffet in Delheim’s historic Vat Cellar.
The Delheim Wild
Mushroom Hunts are all about the mystique and excitement of the season, the
timing, the search, and then the ultimate satisfaction…to find these delicious
gems, lurking right there under one’s nose.
“Today foraging classes, guidebooks, Internet buzz
and even mushroom-identification Smartphone apps have brought mushroom hunting
into mainstream foodie culture, but for us this all started four years ago
already. Delheim was
the originator of the now-popular concept of fungi foraging events in the
country and has sincedefinitely
managed to raise awareness for mushroom foraging in South Africa,” adds Nora.
There
are only 40 spots available per day as Delheim treasures a delicate balance
between sharing their ‘family passion’ and protecting their
mushroom patches and natural habitat to avoid swarming crowds carving new
trails into the forest and trample small plants and precious species during
their fungi expeditions.
The
hunt starts at 10.30am and tickets cost R350 per person, which include the
short-course
in mushroom identification – a very important precursor to avoid poisoning and
to know the dangers and don’ts when it comes to picking these edible wonders;
the forest forage, as well as the 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 Charlotte Terblanche at Tel: 021 888 4600 or send an email
to info@delheim.com.
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.
