The Cape Winelands

The Cape Winelands is separated into six key wine regions: Constantia, Franschhoek, Paarl, Robertson, Stellenbosch and Wellington. Constantia is a valley of vineyards nested in the middle of beautiful mountain ranges.

The wine route begins a few minutes’ drive outside of Cape Town and includes a visit to five different wine producers whose developing of wine dates back to the 1600s. If you decide to do a self-guided tour you will no doubt find an accommodating vineyard, as 90% of the farms offer wine tasting.

The Franschhoek region had it’s beginning over 300 years ago by the French Huguenots who brought their expertise of running a vineyard with them. This region is surrounded by the Drakenstein and Franschhoek mountains, and includes over thirty vineyards. Franschhoek is only thirty minutes from the Paarl, Somerset West, Stellenbosch and Wellington wine routes. Franschhoek has just begun a Cap Classique wine tour that teaches visitors about the process of creating Cap Classique.

An hour outside of Cape Town is the town of Paarl. This quaint town was named after a giant granite outcrop, with the most prominent point looking like a pearl. Not only is the town beautiful, with it’s Victorian, Cape Dutch and Georgian buildings, but Paarl includes the world’s first ‘red route.’ This is the Paarl Vintners route that focuses on wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Port, Roodeberg and Shiraz.

The Robertson region includes the longest wine route with wine tasting in the towns of Ashton, Bonnievale, McGregor and Robertson. These towns are along a stretch of valley that is famous for award-winning wines, roses and delectable cheeses.

Stellenbosch is the most sought out of all the Cape Winelands regions. The Stellenbosch wine routes are the oldest in the country and include over 300 wineries. Bottelary Mountain, a sub-region of Stellenbosch is thought to be the leader of viniculture and viticulture of the Pinotage vine, and has some of the most experimental wineries in the world. Also the town has a host of historical gems to explore and nature hikes.

The Wellington region has one of the youngest wine routes of the Cape Winelands. Wellington rests at the base of the Groenberg Mountain and views the Hawequa Mountains on it’s eastern side. This is the birthplace for almost 90% of the country’s vines.

They start out in nurseries here before being taken to their different regions for planting. This area has a unique wine tour with it’s Wellington Wine Walk. This is a three day hike through orchards and vineyards, and includes wine tasting along with samples of cheeses and olives. Truly no matter which region you choose to visit you will be guaranteed a fabulous vacation with unforgettable flavor.