FIRST JOURNEYS - A RACE AROUND THE WORLD 2020 - PIN 06 OF 23
D'ARIA GIN, Durbanville, Cape Town, South Africa
AROUND THE WORLD, ONE BOTTLE AT A TIME.
PHILEAS FOGG WOULD SURELY APPROVE
An Atlas Edit Change of Plans:
When I originally wrote this post, Sansibar Gin Lounge at Asara Wine Estate was somewhere I desperately wanted to visit, having been seduced by its claim to be home to the best gin bar in Africa — possibly the world — with more than 500 local and imported gins on its shelves.
Well, I finally made it there in 2025, and sadly, it was a very different experience. The gin collection was looking rather tired, with dusty, dated and discoloured bottles and noticeably depleted shelves. I was told that the focus had shifted towards whisky, so unfortunately it no longer felt like the gin destination I had imagined from my virtual visit. I was that disappointed that I ordered a brew instead and drank that on the outside deck - to be fair, the view as amazing and did a little to console me!
The gin I chose for my original Spanish 75 was D’Aria Renosterbos Gin, made at D’Aria, a historic wine estate in the Durbanville Wine Valley. The estate incorporates two old farms, Doordekraal and Springfield, with Springfield dating back to 1698 — making this a rather old piece of Cape Town history to have a gin distillery sitting amongst the vines.
D’Aria uses a wide variety of local fynbos in its gin, including Renosterbos, which translates as “rhino bush” and is indigenous to the Durbanville area where the estate is located.
It’s a delicious, distinctly local gin and, being made so close to where I grew up, it has always felt rather special to me.
"A very unloved gin collection and a cuppa tea with a view!"
"Show me a bottle
and I'll tell you a story."