Fun and Indulgence at the Leleshwa Wine Tour 2018

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Did you know?

That Kenya has a winery? That the said winery sells award-winning wines?

I’ll let that sink in for a bit.

Kenya is not commonly known as a wine-making country so when I first heard of Leleshwa Wines I was curious about the homegrown brand. The owners went against expert advice about 25 years ago when they planted the vines. Much to everyone’s surprise, the grapes turned out great. A decade later, they are an award-winning brand that produces over 80,000 bottles of wine a year.

I got the incredible opportunity to tour the Leleshwa vineyard and I couldn’t pass the chance. We left Nairobi at 9 am and by midday, we’d arrived at Morendat Farm in Naivasha, where Leleshwa vineyard is located.

Fun fact: Leleshwa wines are named after the Leleshwa tree which is prominent in Naivasha. Wonder where Kileleshwa neighbourhood got its name from?

The Tour

We set out on a tour of the vineyards after having refreshments. The grape vines are watered through drip irrigation.

P.S. The difference between red and white wine, is that red wines are fermented with the skins while white wines are fermented without the skins.

The grapes, are fully grown.

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By the end of the tour, we were famished. We headed back to the farm to find this beautiful lunch set up.

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Disclaimer: I’m no wine connoisseur.

Leleshwa Wine tasting

Emma, Leleshwa’s winemaker, took us through the tasting. She did this while debunking popular myths about wine such as not serving red wine with ice. There’s no right or wrong way to serve wine, though there’s a prescribed way to serve and taste wine.

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First off was the Leleshwa Rosé served with an array of canapés. We were encouraged to try out each of the bitings with the wine and find which combination goes well with the Rosé. Wine tasting is an individual experience so a pairing that may work for one but may be completely off-putting to another. The rose-gold coloured wine is fruity and light. My favourite pairing was the fruit skewers with the wine. Gouda cheese came in second for me. A glass of chilled Rosé would be perfect for a hot sunny day.

The First course:

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First was a Grapefruit salad, paired with the Sauvignon Blanc.

Main Course:

Premium aged Morendat beef and mashed potatoes paired with the Merlot Shiraz. If you prefer dry red wines, this might be the perfect one for you.

We then had a deconstructed strawberry cheesecake which was paired with a Sweet White wine for dessert.

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Mt Longonot in the distance

Overall, it was a beautiful experience filled with sunny skies, sweeping views, laughter, good food and flowing wine. I learnt so much about wine and I highly recommend going on the tour. This is also a perfect date idea for wine enthusiasts.

Note:

For more about Leleshwa wines check out their website.

You can order the wines directly from their website or from masoko.com.

Tour dates: Check their website and social media for updates

The tour costs Kshs 10,500 per person. Booking is direct via their website.

A huge thank you to Leleshwa Wines for having me.

Catch up on previous posts here.

Love and Light,

Until next time

Bye!

22 Comments

  1. Wambui

    18 November 2018 at 7:15 am

    Such an amazing piece

    1. Ivy Miricho

      18 November 2018 at 5:51 pm

      Thank you so much!

  2. Vanessa

    18 November 2018 at 10:13 am

    I just added this to my bucket list..

    1. Ivy Miricho

      18 November 2018 at 5:52 pm

      You should definitely go, you’d really enjoy yourself 🙂

  3. Luke

    18 November 2018 at 7:12 pm

    Wow! Felt like I was there with you! Great writing!

    1. Ivy Miricho

      21 November 2018 at 5:40 pm

      It was such a beautiful experience, I’m glad my words reflected that. Thank you so much 🙂

  4. Ian Ngunjiri

    19 November 2018 at 8:21 am

    Impeccable piece.
    Waiting on the next one.Cheers

    1. Ivy Miricho

      21 November 2018 at 5:43 pm

      The next one is coming soon- more like in a few days lol
      Thank you for reading the post 🙂

  5. Betty

    20 November 2018 at 2:39 am

    Best piece yet! Does one get wine tasting lessons? How does one pay for a tour? Are you driven there?

    1. Ivy Miricho

      21 November 2018 at 5:48 pm

      Thanks Betty!
      It’s not really a lesson but you get a few tips on wine tasting. The cost is inclusive of food and transport. You book the tour directly on their website or by sending them an email. Payment is via MPesa, I think they’ve provided payment details on their website as well.

  6. Kirigo

    22 November 2018 at 11:51 pm

    This is a must try!

    1. Ivy Miricho

      23 November 2018 at 8:54 pm

      Absolutely! It’s worth it:)

  7. APRILIA

    17 May 2019 at 3:06 pm

    how can i try this?

    1. Ivy Miricho

      19 May 2019 at 5:15 pm

      Hey, feel free to contact Leleshwa Wines via email. You can also book a tour directly via their website.

  8. Boniface

    18 November 2020 at 12:27 pm

    Now I know, Quite informative amazing!!!

    1. Ivy Miricho

      18 November 2020 at 1:41 pm

      Hi Boniface, thank you for your kind words. I’m glad that the post was helpful 🙂

  9. Ahmad Imamu Nuril Alam

    12 January 2023 at 5:37 am

    nice article, waiting for your another 🙂

  10. andre

    14 January 2023 at 4:21 pm

    Wow! Felt like I was there with you! Great writing

  11. Elbara

    11 April 2023 at 8:42 am

    nice to hang out while enjoying snacks and sunny weather

    1. Ivy Miricho

      11 April 2023 at 12:02 pm

      Yes! It’s the perfect activity for sunny days

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