Cape Winelands
Table of Contents: Regions / Cities / Other destinations / Culture and History / Talk / Travel to Cape Winelands, visa requirements / Get around / Cape Winelands attractions and sightseeing / City tours / Good restaurants and cheap meals / Cape Winelands nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs. / Constantia / Boland / Overberg / Swartland / Famous wine estates / Hotels, youth hostels, lodging / Stay safe / Get out More from Western Cape: Agulhas National Park, Cape Peninsula, Cape Winelands, Garden Route, Overberg, West Coast (South Africa) More from South Africa: Drakensberg, Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West Province, Western Cape More from Southern Africa: Ai-Ais Richtersveld Transfrontier Park, Botswana, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe More from Africa: Central Africa, East Africa, North Africa, Saharan Africa, Seychelles, Southern Africa, West Africa |
The Cape Winelands are a region in the south of South Africa. The winelands boasts some of the most majestic scenery in South Africa. It is situated to the north-east of Cape Town and offers a beautiful landscape of wine hills and mountains.
Regions
- Breede River Valley - on the edge of the Cape Karoo this is mainly a agricultural region but offers some of the countries finest passes
Cities
Other destinations
- Cape Town with all its attractions.
- Go to Strand or Gordon's Bay to swim in the False Bay.
Culture and History
In 1652 the Dutch East India company establishment a refreshment station at the Cape of Good Hope aiming to provide fresh food to the company's fleet on voyages to India and surrounding areas. As a result of this trading station South Africa now boasts a flourishing wine industry and colourful, multi-cultural nation.
When the first settlers arrived, governor Simon van der Stel awarded them land where they could farm for their own needs. When more and more settlers from Germany, France and the Netherlands arrived - some of them experienced winemakers - they discovered that the hills in this region were ideal for growing vines.
Talk
Travel to Cape Winelands, visa requirements
The Cape Winelands are easily accessible from Cape Town via car and tour bus. Train routes are also available, but can be difficult to find. The main routes through the winelands are on the N1 and N2 highways.
Most of the major vineyards are centered around Paarl (on the N1) and Stellenosch (on the N2). Although many smaller and intersting vineyards exist, slightly off the beaten track.
Almost all of the vineyards are clearly marked by wine route markers.
In addition to this there are many organised bus tours through the major wine routes.
Most of the vineyards are open during the week and some on weekends. Wine tastings are offered as well as cheese at some cellars. There may be a small charge for wine tasting, however this is often discounted when purchasing wine from the cellar.
Get around
Cape Winelands attractions and sightseeing
Be sure to visit the beautiful towns of Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek and to taste some wine at one of the local wine farms.
The University of Stellenbosch is situated here.
City tours
- There are regular wine tours daily.
Good restaurants and cheap meals
A large number of the vineyards have restaurants on site. Most of these offer a variety of local and international cuisine. Some of the vineyards offer cheese tastings in addition to the wine.
Cape Winelands nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs.
The fertile soil and Mediterranean climate of the Western Cape, makes the Cape Winelands one of the most renowned wine producing areas in the world. The Western Cape is also cooler than its position of 34º South of the equator might suggest, making the area ideal for growing a wide range of noble vine varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Pinot Noir. The traditional wine growing areas along the coastal regions are seldom more than 50km from the ocean and are exposed to cool breezes blowing in from the sea.
All the wine grape varietals cultivated in South Africa, belong to the Vitis vinifera species, originally brought from Europe. Unfortunately these European vines were susceptible to phylloxera and as a result many South African viticulturists these days often have to graft their vines onto American rootstock in order to resist the insect.
Although Cape Town and the nearby Boland basin is best-known for it's superb Bordeaux-style red wines, the wine-producing region of the province extends further north- and eastwards and has established itself as producer of world-class red, white, fortified and sparkling wines from a wide range of varietals.
Constantia
The oldest and one of the most famous wine farms in the area is Groot Constantia, which was granted to governor Simon van der Stel in 1685, by the Dutch East India Company. The estate is located on the Southern Slopes of Table Mountain and is still world-renowned for its superb wines and breathtaking location. Its beautiful Cape Dutch homestead also forms part of the Iziko South African National Museums. The Constantia region also features such formidable estates as Steenberg well known for its Reserve Sauvignon Blanc and Semmilon while the nearby Buitenverwachting produces outstanding Chardonnay. Both estates feature award-winning restaurants.
Boland
From Cape Town, the Winelands spread north-east and eastwards to the beautiful Boland basin with Stellenbosch, Paarl, Franschhoek and Wellington being the most prominent producers. Some of the oldest wine farms in South Africa are situated in and around the beautiful Cape Dutch village of Stellenbosch, which at over 300-years old, is the oldest town in the country. Although the area hosts an endless amount of superior wine estates, well-known farms towards the east include the Shiraz and Port producing Alto; the prolific Blaauwklippen estate which produces one of the only Zinfandel's in the region; the red wine producing Delheim; the famous Lanzerac estate and hotel; the prominent Middelvlei; the international award-winning red wine producing Rust en Vrede estate; Vriesenhof with it's outstanding white wines; the exclusive Engelbrecht Els estate and the beautiful Tokara with it's adjoining restaurant managed by famous local chef and saucier Etienne Bonthuys.
Towards the west of the town there's the well-known Beyerskloof, famous for it's award-winning Pinotage; the superior sparkling wine producing House of JC Le Roux, the scenic Meerlust estate with it's legendary Rubicon blend; the family-run Overgaauw; the "Cap Classique" producing Villiera and Zevenwacht estate.
The nearby Franschhoek, which translates as "French corner" also boasts some of the country's oldest estates: The beautiful Boschendal with it's typical Cape Dutch homestead; Cabriere Estate with it's flagship range of Pierre Jourdan "Methode Cape Classique" sparkling wines; Graham Beck with it's signature Brut Blanc de Blanc sparkling wine and Rhona Muscadel; and the beautiful La Motte estate which produces outstanding Shiraz.
Overberg
On the otherside of the Franschhoek and Hottentots Holland mountain ranges, the Overberg region includes quaint villages such as McGregor, Montagu and Robertson - the latter boasts the De Wetshof estate, owned by the prolific Chardonnay producer Danie de Wet, while the nearby Hemel-and-Aarde valley close to Hermanus is home to such spectacular wineries as Hamilton Russel with it's well-known Pinot Noir and the legendary Bouchard Finlayson.
Swartland
North of Cape Town, the predominantly wheat producing Swartland region includes the fructuous Riebeek valley, well-known for it's Shiraz wines and olive farms. This region hosts such prestigious estates as Kloovenburg, Allesverloren and Twee Jonge Gezellen, as well as the larger co-operative wineries such as Riebeek Cellars, Swartland Cellars and Darling Cellars, extending further east, towards the Hexrivier Valley at De Doorns and north towards the Olifants River valley close to Citrusdal and the fruitful Orange River Valley near Upington in the Northern Cape.
Famous wine estates
- Allesverloren (Follow the R46 from Malmesbury), ☎ +27 (0)22 461-2320 (info@allesverloren.co.za), [1]. Open 8:30AM to 5PM Monday to Friday and 8:30AM to 2PM on Saturday.
- Groot Constantia, ☎ +27 (0)21 794-5128 (enquiries@grootconstantia.co.za, fax: +27 (0)21 794-1999), [2]. 9AM to 5PM daily. One of the oldest wine estates in South Africa
- Laborie, Paarl, ☎ +27 (0)21 807-3264 (dewaalj@kwv.co.za), [3]. Marketed by KWV
- La Motte, Main Road, Franschhoek Valley (Follow the R45 to Franschhoek), ☎ +27 (0)21 876-3119 (cellar@la-motte.co.za, fax: +27 (0)21 876-3446), [4].
- Meerlust (Take exit 33 off the N2 and follow the R310 to Stellenbosch for about 3km), ☎ +27 (0)21 843-3587 (fax: +27 (0)21 843-3274), [5]. Monday to Friday 9AM to 4PM, Saturday 10AM to 2PM.
- Nederburg, Nederburg Wines, Sonstraal Road, Daljosafat, Paarl, ☎ +27 (0)21 862-3104 (nedwines@distell.co.za, fax: +27 (0)21 862-4887), [6]. Monday to Friday 8:30AM to 5PM, Saturdays 10AM to 2PM.
- Plaisir de Merle, On the R45, just south of Paarl, ☎ +27 (0)21 874-1071 (plaisirdemerletours@distell.co.za, fax: +27 (0)21 874-1689), [7]. Monday to Friday from 8:30AM to 5PM, Saturday from 10AM to 4PM.
- Rhebokskloof, Paarl, ☎ +27 (0)21 869-8386 (info@rhebokskloof.co.za, fax: +27 (0)21 869-8504).
- Rustenberg, ☎ +27 (0)21 809-1200 (wine@rustenberg.co.za, fax: +27 (0)21 809-1219), [8]. Monday to Friday 9AM to 4:30PM, Saturday 10AM to 1:30PM.
- Rust en Vrede, ☎ +27 (0)21 881-3881 (info@rustenvrede.com, fax: +27 (0)21 881-3000), [9].
- Vergelegen, Lourensford Road, Somerset West, ☎ +27 (0)21 847-1334 (erdodd@hotmail.com, fax: +27 (0)21 847-1608), [10]. Open daily 9:30AM to 4PM except for Christmas, Good Friday and Workders day. R10.
- Zorgvliet, Banhoek Valley, Helshoogte pass, Stellenbosch, ☎ 0861 967 485 (reservations1@rivieraonvaal.co.za, fax: +27 (0)21 885-1318), [11].
- Zevenwacht, Langverwacht Road, Kuils River, ☎ +27 (0)21 903-5123 (sales@zevenwacht.co.za, fax: +27 (0)21 903-3373), [12]. Has onsite 4 star accommodation and a restaurant.
Hotels, youth hostels, lodging
- Le Quartier Francais http://www.lqf.co.za is located in Franschhoek and has recently been awarded as the 'Best Small Hotel in the World'.
Stay safe
Safety is not as much an issue as in other parts of South Africa, but that does not mean that you should leave everything lying around openly. Simply use all normal precautions you would also use at home.
Get out
Go up the West Coast or along the Garden Route at the East Coast.
More from Western Cape: Agulhas National Park, Cape Peninsula, Cape Winelands, Garden Route, Overberg, West Coast (South Africa) More from South Africa: Drakensberg, Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West Province, Western Cape More from Southern Africa: Ai-Ais Richtersveld Transfrontier Park, Botswana, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe More from Africa: Central Africa, East Africa, North Africa, Saharan Africa, Seychelles, Southern Africa, West Africa |
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