The Cape Winelands

• Stellenbosch
• Franschhoek
• Paarl Valley

To try and encapsulate the beauty and sheer indulgence of all that the Western Cape Winelands has to offer in just a few paragraphs, is a daunting task. The following paragraphs will give you a taste of what a few of the unique regions are able to offer, but if you can spend a few days in some of them, to explore and discover each region for yourself, it will be a very worthwhile and pleasant experience.

Stellenbosch

Stellenbosch is arguably the most world renowned South African wine route - with over 100 wine farms, historical buildings, an art route, and strawberry farming just some of its highlights, this university town is the second oldest town in the Cape. Most of the farms along the route are open for lunch or dinner, as well as cellar tours, wine sales, and accommodation. Spier has its own railway link from the city centre to the farm, and offers picnics alongside a beautiful lake, fine dining with several restaurants to choose from, musical or stage productions held at their own amphitheatre, as well as a Cheetah Outreach programme, where, for a nominal fee, you can see the cheetahs they are rehabilitating and protecting. They also have a wild bird show, and often have art exhibitions and car shows in their immense and beautifully landscaped gardens.

Zevenwacht offers accommodation at their 4 star Country Inn, a self-catering chalet, or a choice between 7 Vineyard Cottages. It is the ideal place for a wedding or conference, and the stately Manor House is open 7 days a week, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They have recently opened an African Spa, where one could choose to stay for a full day, or the magical night spa. Their wines are consistent award winners, with two whites respectively winning Silver Medals at each of the following: the Michelangelo Awards 2006, Veritas Awards 2006, as well as the International Wine Challenge 2006, and also earned themselves 4 stars in the well known John Platter guide book to wines - The Tin Mine White 2004, and the Syrah 2004, which is a blend of Voignier and Syrah. A  Bronze medal for their Zevenrood 2004, with its juicy red berries and spicy oak notes, is yet another winner to come from this picturesque, gracious wine farm.

Saxenburg Wines in Stellenbosch is definitely worth going to for something unique - not only does it have an excellent restaurant with spectacular views, their two concept wines, the Grand Vin Blanc, which is a smooth rich fruit blend of Chardonnay cultivated in France, and blended with their very own Chenin Blanc grapes,  and their Grand Vin Rouge, with its deep ruby red colour, and hint of maraschino cherries and  gentle smokiness, is a wine that can be enjoyed while young, or left for a few years. Their Shiraz 2003 was voted the best Shiraz in South Africa, with their Private Collection Cabernet Sauvignon taking top honours, and bringing home the Warren Winiarski Trophy, winning a Gold Medal, as well as top honours for being the best in its class, competing against 6 000 wines in this prestigious competition. The Delaire Winery offers delightful self-serve picnics under magnificent oak trees, overlooking the Banhoek Valley - situated at the top of Helshoogte Mountain Pass - their restaurant has one of the best panoramic views you can hope for, and with delectable fare, and their bouquet wines, its an outing you will savour for a long time. It is a perfect setting for a wedding or conference. They also have a self-catering cottage, overlooking the Banhoek Valley, framed by the Simonsberg and Drakenstein Mountains. Their top wines are Chardonnay 2006 and 2005, and their Sauvignon Blanc 2005 which won a Silver Michelangelo Award 2006. Wine tasting is offered throughout the week, with wine sales also possible.

The four star Zandberg Wine Farm has self-catering cottages set in idyllic gardens, with an option of relaxed fine dinging from their kitchens- champagne breakfasts, lunches and dinners are all served, with meals being served in their cosy thatched breakfast room in winter. Apart from their wines, two other reasons to visit this little paradise, is their restaurant ’96 Winery Road, which is rated as one of the top ten restaurants in Africa, and their health spa, which offers a wide range of de-stressing, and relaxing massages.  The  farms just mentioned are only the tip of an ice berg of wine farms to choose from in the beautiful Stellenbosch winelands. Another of these magnificent farms is Lanzerac Manor & Winery, a prestigious wine estate with a history spanning 300 years. Lanzerac offers 5 star service with a capturing and enchanting atmosphere.

Back to top

Franschhoek

Franschhoek (French Corner), lies between the imposing and towering Franschhoek and Drakenstein Mountains - this little gem is a much smaller, but nonetheless, excellent wine route, with only 29 farms. Apart from the wines, Franschhoek is also well known for its mouthwatering food, its quirky quaint shops and charm. Situated in the centre of the charming village is The Franschhoek, a luxury boutique hotel offering 5 star service.

Boschendal is an excellent example of an authentic 17th century Cape Dutch farm. Established in 1685, they produce a distinctive range of reds, whites, and sparkling wines, as well as a Blanc de Noir. An award winning producer, Boschendal also offers the visitor a chance to taste and buy their wines under a huge oak tree, next to their oldest building on the property, their Wine Tasting Centre. Their old wine cellar has been renovated to house the Boschendal Restaurant, which offers delicious buffet lunches every day of the week. They also offer elegant French-style picnics beneath pine trees, as well as light lunches and teas served outside under the shade of old oaks. Their exquisite wine range consists of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, a much awarded Sauvignon Blanc Reserve, a Jean Le Long Cabernet Blanc, and a delicious blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Shiraz, perfect for roast lamb, rare roast fillet or robust casseroles. They also produce a Blanc de Noir, as well as a sparkling wine. Their state of the art cellar is also definitely worth a visit.

The best kept secret in the Franschhoek Valley, is a restaurant called Bread and Wine situated on the Moreson Matin Soleill, which serves extraordinary Mediterranean dishes, along with fine wines, like their Premium Chardonnay, Cuvee Cape Brut, Blanc de Blanc Brut, Chenin Blanc, or their reds, Pinotage, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and their Moreson Magia. Cabriere Estate has the unique feature of a restaurant built into the mountain.. The Haute Cabriere Cellar Restaurant, which has an impressive view over the beautiful valley, as well as having a huge window which allows the barrel cellar underneath to form a stunning back-drop to the restaurant, offers their guests a chance to have a glass of wine which each dish, using only Cabriere or Pierre Jourdan wines which compliments the food perfectly. The menus are fresh and offer a variety of seafood - salmon trout from the area, Tempura prawns, mussels, Scottish salmon, fresh line fish, as well as game, lamb or chicken and with a mouth-watering delectable array of desserts The unique blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir is Cabrera’s success story, as well as the Fine Jourdan Potstill Brandy. Other wines produced here are Pinot Noir,  Pierre Jourdan Brut Sauvage- an oyster dry finely bubbled wine, the Pierre Jourdan Brut, Cuvee Belle Rose, Tranquille, Blanc de Blanc, and an interesting red, the Arnim Sauvignon Rouge. Other notable wine farms in the area are La Motte, Chamonix, Mont Rochelle, La Bri(great whites), Dieu Donne, and Stony Brook- producing wines with a unique Franschhoek flavour. Located among the vineyards, approximately 2km from the village, is Le Franschhoek Hotel & Spa, an ideal place to rest and unwind in the heart of the winelands.

Back to top

Paarl Valley

The Paarl Valley wine route is small, but is regarded by some as the best wine producing valley in the Western Cape - all of their estates are worthy of a visit, but if time is an issue, go along to the Laborie Estate, where the Laborie Restaurant serves fresh, eclectic meals and a few carefully chosen premium wines from the various wine farms  in this region. The KWV Emporium is home to some of the world’s largest vats, in their famous Cathedral Cellar. The wine tasting includes brandy, wines, as well as fortified wines. With its imposing mountain, Paarl has a lot to offer the visitor, whether hot air ballooning over the Berg River, or going for a walk in their Nature Reserve, or marveling at their perfectly reserved historical buildings, this little valley produces a wide range of quality wines and styles. Cheese tasting, watching glass blowers at work, are also part of the attractions. Situated in the Drakenstein valley of Paarl is Grande Roche, a 5 star luxury hotel homestead with a heritage dating back to 1717. Flanked by the majestic Simonsberg Mountains is the Santé Winelands Hotel & Wellness Centre, built on a working wine estate; it is a 5 star holistic spa intent on rejuvenating body and mind.

Vergelegen Estate is one of the Cape’s most historic landmarks, and produces fruity flavoursome wines, and also offers picnics, al fresco lunches, as well as beautifully presented and tasting lunches in their Lady Phillips Restaurant-set in the Helderberg wine route which is protected by the Hottentots Holland Mountains, and a delightful sea breeze, this tiny route is also worth a visit, and is not far from the city centre at all. Another really pleasant wine route is in the Durbanville Hills, again, with fresh sea breezes influencing the tastes of their palate pleasing wines. 

Further inland, there’s the Wellington, Tulbagh, Breedekloof, Worcester, or Robertson wine routs, and up the west coast you get the Swartland and Olifants River wine routes, with a lot of them offering light meals, cellar tours, and wine tasting and sales. Two brandy routes are also offered, one called the Western Cape Brandy Route, which encompasses  the Van Rhyn Brandy Cellars, Louisenhof, Avontuur Wine Estate, and Uitkyk, all around Stellenbosch. The other brandy route is called Route 62 Brandy Route, and stretches from Worcester to De Rust, with 6 farms to choose from, in the picturesque Little Karoo region. Brandy is a distilled product made from grapes.