The Cape Winelands Offer a Special Experience to Both Novice Visitors and Wine Connoisseurs
What is It- Most visitors to South Africa start their exploration of the country in Cape Town. But one of the most popular daytime excursions from the city or destinations for an overnight stay is to visit the Cape Winelands. The rolling hills and lush land of this area are home to over two thousand wine farms and forty-five producer cellars. Many of these wineries are open for wine tasting visits or include inns for guests to take in the views and ambiance of the region. Just as interesting are some of towns of this area – Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. Both towns have a casual feel and are full of shops and restaurants for people to browse and enjoy some fine South African wines and foods.
Visiting the wine country outside of Cape Town provides a relaxing transition from the city’s busy life to a more peaceful environment featuring beautiful valleys and vineyards nestled among the Hottentots Holland mountains. These areas are reminiscent of the Bourdeaux region in France or the Napa Valley in California. Forbes magazine recently rated the Cape Winelands as the number two destination in the world for wine aficionados to visit citing its “superb wines and French inspired cuisine.”
What to See There
Three experiences are critical to enjoying the wine country:
Visit a Wine Estate- With so many wine estates scattered around the region, every tour operator or prior visitor has a different favorite. Nevertheless, it is important to decide in advance what you want to do in the Cape Winelands. Is it to sample the wines produced at one farm location or to visit a wine shop such as the popular Vineyard Connection where there are likely to be dozens of local vintages to try? Is it to see the vineyards and production facilities of an active winery? Or do you want to relax and have a farm fresh meal and fine wines in a beautiful location? Packages offering different options are readily available, and if you are staying at the wine estate or local inn, they will set up something for you. We were fortunate to stop and visit two wine estates during our time in the area. One was the recently developed Waterkloof Wine Estate which is perched on a hillside above Somerset West overlooking False Bay on the Western Cape. It features a biodynamic winery with views of the vineyards and mountain peaks which can be enjoyed from an upscale farm to a table restaurant and tasting lounge. They serve a special menu with a wide variety of different small plate courses.
Another excellent estate is the Delaire Graff Wine Estate, a five-star estate in the Stellenbosch Winelands that has been described as providing “spectacular views, sublime art, sumptuous food and soul-restoring stays.” Overnight guests can enjoy a lodge or villas with private pools while viewing the landscape, touring the vineyards, and partaking in the offerings of three restaurants, a wine lodge, a spa, and boutique shopping including a Graff diamond store. For visitors only planning a short visit to the countryside, the best approach is to book a table at one of these establishments to enjoy gourmet food and wine.
Walk around Stellenbosch- Stellenbosch, the second oldest town in South Africa, was settled in 1679 on the First River. It has a large university with many famous South African alumni that was established in 1918. The 24,000 students there enrolled in 139 departments of study help support a vibrant city center. Stellenbosch is full of shops, cafes, restaurants, inns, and museums, housed in traditional buildings featuring Dutch architecture or Victorian styles. Visitors enjoy strolling along the tree lined streets of the downtown to window shop and sample local crafts. As the largest town in the wine country, there is no shortage of gourmet restaurants, wine bars, and other activities to explore here.
Spend Some Time in Franschhoek- Franschhoek was settled originally by French Huguenot refugees seeking religious freedom in the 1680s. The town features memorials for these settlers along with a museum celebrating their traditions and knowledge of viticulture and farming. In 1980, the town formed a wine route with twenty estates offering tours and samples of their production. In the town, most activity is concentrated on the long main street that has numerous restaurants and shops. Another option in Franschhoek is to visit wineries on the Franschhoek Wine Tram. This double-decker tram runs on an old railroad track through the vineyards of the region. Different routes offered by the tram and buses allow riders to see up to thirty wine farms in the valley, and to partake in food and wine tasting at most of them.
How to Get Here- You reach the Winelands by traveling east from the city on the N2 highway. After passing by the Cape Town Airport and some crowded township housing areas on the N2, different local roads lead you into Somerset West, Stellenbosch, or Franschhoek. Taking a guided trip to this region with Cape Town Tour Guides profiled in The Traveling American is highly recommended to find the best wineries, restaurants, and inns for your tastes and budget in this expensive region of the country.
When to Go Here- Wine connoisseurs recommend visiting the Cape Winelands in February and March during the harvest season to enjoy vines rich and heavy with grapes. Nevertheless, the entire summer season from November to March will also offer opportunities to dine outside in the sunshine and see some beautiful landscapes.