The wine routes of South Africa are mostly found within the Western Cape where the bulk of the country’s wine production takes place. The wine routes include world-class wine estates fine cuisine and unique food and wine pairings. There are many other exciting activities to discover along these routes from wildlife encounters to art galleries.
CAPE TOWN
The Constantia Wine Valley offers a unique blend of centuries-old homesteads and stylish new boutique wineries in spectacular mountain countryside just 15 minutes from Cape Town’s city centre. Here you can sample a wide range of premium wines, take a stroll through beautiful greenbelts, enjoy a sensational taste experience at one of the many restaurants, sip champagne on the lawns of the wineries or in the boutique hotels, and view fine art made by local artists.
Visitors who choose to visit the Durbanville Wine Valley are welcomed with warm hospitality by each of the 12 farms that make up this unique area situated on the urban edge of Cape Town, just 30 minutes from the city centre. Warm hospitality, rich flavours, exceptional wines and engaging experiences are interwoven into the core of what the Durbanville Wine Valley is all about. Sauvignon Blanc is the signature varietal of this cool-climate wine region.
CAPE WINELANDS
The lesser-explored Breedekloof, a valley of slow-ripening vines, is home to farming families with a long tradition, some reaching back over three centuries. This wine hamlet, situated just over an hour’s drive from Cape Town, offers expansive and dramatic mountain views, as well as a range of activities that cater to all tastes, whether it is a thirst for the outdoors, or for something a bit more literal in the form of wine, craft gin or craft beer.
Breath-taking scenery, world-class cuisine, fine wines and a village atmosphere. These are the hallmarks of the beautiful Franschhoek Valley, settled more than 300 years ago by the French Huguenots. Experience the Food and Wine Route, the Artisan Food Route, the Rond en Bont cultural route or the Cap Classique Route; treat yourself to a special Mystery Weekend; or go to one of the festivals covering food and wine, art, literature and music.
Proudly positioned, the famous Paarl Rock greets you when visiting this valley. Paarl Wine Route is one of the oldest in the country and several of South Africa’s historic cellars are found here. The tranquil wine region is renowned for its rich, full-bodied, spicy reds (Shiraz is a speciality) and crisp whites. The town of Paarl, which dates back to 1657, offers nature, history, culture and food – explore it by foot, bicycle, horseback or car.
Satisfy your wanderlust with a mere 2-hour scenic drive from Cape Town to explore the country life on Route 62. Be captivated by the producers rich history that led to this valley’s authenticity and quality. Celebrate Chardonnay, Cabernet and MCC from this diverse terroir region. We are united in our passion to create the most memorable wine and food tourism experiences hosted by our unique, country-charm hospitality. Discover the stories behind the bottle and come taste the lifestyle.
In 1971, Stellenbosch became the first wine region in South Africa to establish a wine route as an organised network of wineries for visitors. Today the town – with its compelling mix of world class wine and food offerings balanced with history, culture and spectacular natural beauty – provides a coordinated network of more than 100 wineries, each offering a unique cellar-door experience for the wine lover and visitor. The five sub-routes each has its own wine styles, climates and geographic location.
A scenic 90-minute drive from Cape Town, the rural village of Tulbagh nestles in a serene valley surrounded by magnificent mountains. The Tulbagh Wine Route is dotted with graceful old estates that have been home to generations of the same families, interspersed with new vineyards and state-of-the-art cellars belonging to more recent micro-producers and boutique wineries. One of the attractions of Tulbagh is Church Street with its 32 provincial monuments that transport visitors back in time.
If you seek the road less travelled then there is no wrong turn when visiting the picturesque town of Wellington, declared a ‘Top Wine Area’ in the 2016 South African Terroir Awards. Surrounded by wine estates, fruit orchards, buchu plantations and olive groves. It’s also home to South Africa’s first indigenous distillery. Here’s where visitors meandering off the beaten track can discover artisanal produce and scenic routes and even game reserves set among the fynbos and indigenous Renosterveld.
The Worcester Wine & Olive Route, about 150 kilometres from Cape Town, is home to 12 wine cellars and an olive estate, offering an unforgettable experience to all food and wine lovers, from novices to connoisseurs. This region, known for its value-for-money products, also boasts plenty of bistros and restaurants, plus a range of accommodation options for those who want to make it a relaxing getaway. A highlight on the annual calendar is the Nuy Valley Feast taking place in May.
GARDEN ROUTE & KLEIN KAROO
Spread out across the Klein Karoo with its uniquely South African cuisine, warm welcome and unspoilt landscapes, this diverse wine route stretches along the R62 from Montagu westwards through the towns of Barrydale, Ladismith, Calitzdorp and Oudtshoorn, to De Rust and Herold in the east. Various microclimates enable Klein Karoo winemakers to produce a wide variety of quality wines that include crisp whites and appealing reds, pot still brandies, and the ever-popular Muscadel and Cape Port.
South Africa’s smallest wine region, the Plettenberg Bay Winelands’ farms are owner-run and there are 8 open to the public. You can experience their tasting rooms, restaurants, wine cellar and viticulture tours. They produce a variety of cultivars – Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir – while their award-winning Méthode Cap Classique varieties are turning this area into a premier bubbly experience. Indigenous forest, mountains and a temperate coastline as well as the annual Plett Wine & Bubbly Festival over Easter holidays, add year-round fizz to visit this premier Garden Route destination.
CAPE OVERBERG
In the rolling hills of the Bot River area, down-to-earth, sociable farmers make wines for lovers of the road less travelled. Here you can taste wines made from the oldest vines in the region, as well as more recent varietals from new plantings. From historic and traditional wineries to the most modern state-of-the-art cellars, the common denominators are a warm welcome, handcrafted wines, a commitment to biodiversity and the desire to share hours of sociable sipping.
The vineyards of the Elgin Valley Wine Route benefit from high altitudes and cold winters with abundant rainfall, and south-easterly sea breezes in summer. These elements ensure slow ripening, resulting in wines with purity of fruit, complexity and elegance. The route encompasses 15 wineries, while festivals include Elgin Cool Wine & Country Food and the Elgin Chardonnay Colloquium held annually in October. An exciting development is the Elgin Railway Market with a wine bar, crafts and food stalls.
The small town of Elim (meaning ‘place of God’) was established in 1824 by missionaries and vines planted to make sacramental wine. More than a century later, they replanted vineyards of the Agulhas Wine Route, en-route to the southernmost tip of the continent at Cape Agulhas, are cooled by the salt-laden winds that blow off the sea, while the area’s uniquely diverse soil types encourage distinctive mineral and flinty flavours in the fruit.
Bordering Walker Bay – a breeding ground for Southern Right whales on their annual winter migration – is a 20-kilometre stretch of vineyards known for their unique terroir and maritime character, which derive maximum benefit from the high elevation and cool sea breezes. The earth here has, over millions of years, shifted and moved, creating the wide variations that make up the area’s three distinct appellations. Each winery produces small volumes of premium-quality wines in sustainably managed vineyards.
The quaint village of Stanford in the Cape Overberg, two hours from Cape Town, is surrounded by ten wineries, ranging from large wellknown farms to charming micro establishments. Here, you can taste the unique wines of the cool-climate terroir, sample wholesome, delectable country cuisine, relax into laidback village life and soak up the tranquil landscape, book into a wide range of accommodation from five-star to home-from-home and make lifelong wine friends.
CAPE WEST COAST (WESKUS)
Darling, ‘the flower of the West Coast’, is an hour’s drive from Cape Town. The town and surrounds are the home of vineyard plantings influenced by the nautical conditions of the nearby Atlantic Ocean. Mainly dryland, the plantings yield fruit of huge intensity and flavour, resulting in wonderful wines. Darling is a member of the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative, which aims to minimise the loss of natural habitats and contribute to sustainable wine production through better land-management practices.
The raw and rugged Swartland – an area of extreme diversity – boasts wide-open horizons. Here bush vines and trellised vines stand alongside wheat fields and olive groves in an area with many microclimates and soils. Vineyards stretch along the banks of the Berg River and clamber up the rolling hills so typical of this area and backroad wineries echo the terroir, with communities pursuing individual expression through wine, food, word and art.
The varied West Coast Wine Route covers a wide range of locations, from tucked-away family-run farms to well-known mega-wineries. The route begins in the hills around the village of Trawal in the south and stretches north along the fertile Olifants River valley with its ideal growing conditions for distinctive wines, to Doring Bay to Lamberts Bay on the West Coast. The beauty of the region, popular with adventurous and active travellers, is enhanced by its down-to-earth and genuine people.
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