Meandering around the Cape Winelands

INTRODUCTION

‘Wine gives great pleasure; and every pleasure is of itself a good,’ said Samuel Johnson. Well, we’ll drink to that. Because you don’t need to be a wine connoisseur to see the pleasure of spending a day (or two) meandering around the Cape Winelands, sampling wines that are among the finest in the world. What is tricky is choosing where to go, given that there are well over 100 wine estates in the Stellenbosch and Franschhoek areas alone.

To narrow the field a range of experts were gathered, including tourism officers, wine industry leaders and wine writers, and given a cruel task: to pick just a few of their favourites. The list was long, but some names came up again and again. So here they are, a selection of wine estates from hi-tech to historic, from huge to homely, that mix some of the grandes dames for first-timers with one or two little-known boutique estates for those who’ve done it all before. And they’re kid-friendly too.

Siyabona Africa Travel recommends Cape Winelands Country Estate Hotels

TIME:
The route can be done as two separate days, or rolled together into one trip.

DISTANCE:
About 200km or as separate day trips: Day One 170km, Day Two 140km.

BEST TIME TO GO:
All year – warm summer days are perfect for chilled chardonnay under a shady oak, while winter delivers a completely different experience: many tasting areas have roaring fires. Cellar tours are more interesting in harvest time, during February and March, while autumn turns the vineyards to gold.

THE ROUTE:
An intoxicating meander through a fine selection of award-winning wine estates, from hi-tech to homely and obvious to obscure in Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. Spend Day One in Stellenbosch, South Africa’s most famous wine region, then cross the Helshoogte Pass to Franschhoek, the ‘French corner’ that the Huguenot vignerons made their home.

Day One
Wine tastings at Annandale, Waterford and Dornier.
Lunch at Spier.
More tastings at Middelvlei and Rustenberg.
Cross the Helshoogte Pass and overnight in Franschhoek.

Day Two
Visit Stony Brook and taste the wine.
Tour Cabrière with Achim von Arnim.
Lunch (and wine) at Môreson or Chamonix.
Afternoon tea at Boschendal.

Before you go
Sundays aren’t good to tour the winelands, as most estates close for the weekend at lunchtime on Saturday. Of the estates listed here, only Spier in Stellenbosch and Chamonix and Môreson in Franschhoek are open on Sundays, with Boschendal joining them between. November and April: Take some cash, as most estates charge a nominal fee for the tastings. Cellar tours must be booked a day or two in advance.

Find out more
John Platter‘s South African Wines guide is a vital companion that lists the estates and grades the wines using a star system. It’s updated each year. The Wine Desk at the Waterfront, in the Cape Town Tourism office in the Clock Tower Precinct, is a brilliant source of information, and they can book tours, arrange accommodation and help you ship wine home.

For a ‘gastronomic meander through the winelands’, read Cape Flavour by Myrna Robins (Struik). This inventive book combines recipes with an overview of all the Cape wine routes and the fine food you’ll find there, so you can recreate the experience at home.The Winelands Good Time Guide by Jean-Pierre Rossouw (Struik) gives a refreshingly different take on various wine estates and their characters.

DAY ONE Waterfront to Annandale, Waterford and Dornier – 35min

From the Cape Town V&A Waterfront turn left to N1 Paarl, then follow N2 Somerset West signs. At about 43km, take Exit 43 Broadway Boulevard, Somerset West, and turn left to R44 Stellenbosch at the stop. At about 52km, turn right into Annandale Road (right after a farmstall with loads of scarecrows). Turn left into Annandale after 400m – signed Klein Akkerdraai and a small sign for Annandale. For Waterford and Dornier, turn right back onto the R44 to Stellenbosch. After 4.5km, turn right into Blaauwklippen Road (not the estate). Road becomes gravel.