The Best Locations and Tours For the Wine Lover in South Africa

The Best Locations and Tours For the Wine Lover in South Africa
The Best Locations and Tours For the Wine Lover in South Africa

A land that is adored for its vibrant wildlife and diverse landscapes, South Africa is also of great interest to anyone that loves a good glass of wine. The wine tasting experiences available here will not disappoint wine lovers, whether you prefer white or red.

As one of the leading producers of wine, South Africa is the ideal place to really finetune your tasting skills, while enjoying new notes, new flavours and sublime scenery.

If, therefore, you’re interested in doing something a bit different from just checking out the beautiful contrasting landscapes, catching some rays on the idyllic beaches and exploring the safari parks, you should consider some of the best South African wine tours. A tailor-made holiday isn’t complete without this tour if you’re a wine connoisseur.

Start at Constantia and Cape Town

One of the best places to start your exploration of South African wine is Cape Town. However, if you head a short distance outside the city, you will find the intriguing Constantia Wine Route, Wineries have been in this area since 1685 and it is known for gastronomy as much as it is wine production.

With the Constantia wine tour you have the opportunity to spend a number of hours travelling around the various wineries, estates and farms, in addition to the off-road mountain tour of the vineyards. As well as the wineries, there is also an amazing selection of restaurants who are looking for an out-of-the-ordinary dining experience with unbelievable vistas.

Some of the most popular destinations on this route are Constantia Glen, Eagle’s Nest and Steenberg Vineyards. There is also dessert wines which have been popular exports for the region since around the 19th century.

Paarl – A Must-see wine town

Paarl is one of the first farming locations in the Cape and is a pretty little town that lies along from the bottom of several eye-catching granite domes.

The wine route here has a number of excellent wineries you can visit and you can do something environmentally-friendly by cutting down on your carbon footprint taking a ride on the popular goat wagon to Fairview Estate.

You can enjoy some great cheese and wine testing here, and there’s also a deli that has a delicious range of vegetables, fruit, olives, cheeses and cold meats.

Do the Franschhoek Wine Tour

Many wine tours in Cape Town head over to Franschhoek, a charming village with stunning countryside, that is also known for its high-class wines. Some tours head to Bloubergstrand Beach en route and this is probably the best place to see Table Mountain in all its spectacular glory. When you eventually arrive in Franschhoek, you’ll find that there’s a staggering array of quality wineries to visit. Arguably one of the best is Anura Wine Estate.

This is set at the imposing and intimidating Simonsberg Mountains foothills and has a wide range of different soils thriving in the various microclimatic conditions. This provides you with a nice selection of different wines to try. As Anura specialises in red, you’ll find Mourvedre, Petit Verdot, Grenache, Pinot Noir and Malbec there.

They also offer tailor made wines at this winery for people interesting in something a little different. As well as the tasting and tours offered here, there’s also a deli and restaurant that serves fresh and tasty food. You’ll be spoilt for choice here if you are as big a fan of cheese as you are of wine.

You can also take a ride on the special wine tram, that gives you the chance to experience ore of what the area has to offer, as it travels through local winelands, making stops at various important wineries along the way.

Stellenbosch Wine Tours to Mix it Up

The Cape Winelands are just a short while away from South Africa, that features staggering mountain ridges and hundreds of acres. This spectacular part of the country that has an endless array of luscious green wines.

Stellenbosch is one of the main points of interest in the wine industry of the country and although we’ve mentioned it here last, it’s often the first place many people visit. It is a large cultural central point and has a high percentage of students and because of the views, is a very popular area allround.

It is a destination that’s also popular for its intriguing mix of Cape Dutch, Georgian and Victorian architecture. You will find a number of great wineries just a short trip away from the centre and most offer tasters and tours, as well as mouthwatering snacks and meals.

Along this wine route there is actually more than 150 wineries, so it’s often a little overwhelming and hard to choose the best of a sterling selection. One that is particular though is WAterford Estate. This is based in the Blaauwklippen Valley and stretches across 120 hectares, with half of them consisting of verdant vines.

This is a particularly relaxing and calm setting for tours of cellars and tasters. The wine that you really need to taste and try here is the Elgin Pinot Noir and Waterfront Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. Some of the other great wineries you should consider visiting includes Thelema Mountain Vineyards and Dornier Wine Estate.