The Western Cape of South Africa is renowned not just for its breathtaking landscapes and rich cultural heritage but also as one of the world’s premier wine-producing regions.
With a multitude of options for both seasoned enthusiasts and curious newcomers, wine-tasting tours in Cape Town and Cape Winelands offer an incredible way to sample the region’s most exceptional wines while soaking up the local culture.
Here, we explore some of the top wine-tasting tours that should not be missed:
1. Stellenbosch Wine Tour
The Stellenbosch Winelands Full Day Tour by Wine Flies is a highly rated tour that takes you to four different wineries in the Stellenbosch region. The tour includes tastings at each winery, as well as a gourmet lunch stop at a local restaurant.
One of the unique features of this tour is that it includes a visit to a boutique winery that specialises in natural and organic wines. This is a great opportunity to learn more about sustainable winemaking practices and taste some truly unique wines.
Another highlight of the tour is the visit to a winery that’s known for its award-winning red wines. You’ll have the opportunity to sample some of the farm’s best offerings and learn more about the winemaking process.
The tour includes visits to three other wineries with award-winning wine. Along the route, you’ll get to enjoy the stunning views of the Stellenbosch vineyards and learn more about the region’s rich wine culture.
2. Franschhoek Wine Tram
The Franschhoek Wine Tram is a unique and popular wine-tasting experience that takes you on a picturesque journey through the Franschhoek Valley.
The tram itself is a vintage-style railway tram that operates on a hop-on, hop-off basis, allowing you to visit multiple wineries and tasting rooms at your own pace.
The Franschhoek Wine Tram offers several different tour options, each of which explores a different part of the valley and includes tastings at various wineries along the way. The tours typically include visits to between five and eight wineries, depending on the route you choose.
This tour is excellent because you don’t have to worry about driving or navigating your way around the area. You can simply sit back, relax and enjoy the stunning scenery as you travel from one winery to the next.
3. Constantia Wine Tour
The Constantia Wine Tour is a popular wine-tasting tour that takes you to some of the oldest and most prestigious wineries in the country.
The region is known for its cool-climate wines and wineries that are some of the oldest estates in the country.
On the Constantia Wine Tour, you’ll typically visit between three and five wineries, each with its own unique character and style. You’ll get to taste a variety of wines at each winery, including some of the region’s most renowned wines.
In addition, you’ll have the opportunity to learn about the winemaking process and the history of wine in the region from knowledgeable guides.
4. Cape Point Vineyards Tour
The Cape Point Vineyards Tour is a wine tasting tour that takes you to one of the most scenic wine regions in the country. Located in Noordhoek, the estate is known for its cool-climate wines, which are produced using sustainable farming practices.
The estate is set against the backdrop of Chapman’s Peak Mountain, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The vineyards themselves are situated on the slopes of the mountain, offering breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape.
On the tour, you’ll get to taste a variety of award-winning wines produced by Cape Point Vineyards and have the opportunity to explore the vineyards and learn about the winemaking process from knowledgeable guides.
5. Steenberg Vineyards
6. Nitida Wine Farm
Nitida Wine Farm is a family-owned boutique winery in South Africa’s Durbanville Wine Valley, known for its award-winning, minimal-intervention wines, charming cellar tasting room (in the barrel cellar!), two restaurants (Cassia and Tables), child/dog-friendly amenities, and beautiful vineyards, offering a full experience from wine tasting and dining to outdoor activities.
The estate operates on the belief that ‘beautiful wines come from day-to-day thoughtful management in the vineyards’. Grapes are hand-picked and hand-sorted to ensure high quality.
The farm spans approximately 15 hectares and produces varieties including sauvignon blanc, merlot, shiraz, semillon, pinot noir, and cabernet sauvignon.
7. De Grendel Wine Estate
8. Buitenverwachting Wine Farm
First sold as a 200-Morgen subdivision to Cornelis Brink in 1773, Buitenverwachting changed hands all too often. And yet it flourished as a wine farm, due mainly to the 90 000 vines planted in 1825 by Ryk Arnoldus Cloete, brother of the famous Hendrik Cloete of Constantia.
From 1866, the fortunes of Buitenverwachting were inextricably linked to those of the Louw and Lategan families. One of the most colourful characters was Oom Danie Lategan, whose trademark was the freshly picked camellia he wore on his lapel every day. It was his daughter, Olivia Lategan, who was to forge the link between the Lategans and the Louws.
Born at Buitenverwachting, she returned as mistress of the farm when she married George Louw. Imbued with a sense of history, the Mueller family has retraced the roots of Buitenverwachting. The farm was lovingly restored to its former glory, while extensive planting of the most selected of cultivars was initiated.
The result was a maiden grape harvest of 100 tonnes – the first harvest the farm had seen in 30 years. An historic achievement that lived up to its name: Buitenverwachting – ‘Beyond Expectation’.
9. Meerendal Wine Estate
Meerendal’s wine heritage started in 1702 when sixty thousand vines were planted. More than three hundred years later, they continue this proud history, with over one hundred and fifty thousand vines on the estate.
The wine journey for the Coertze family began in 2004 when they invested in Meerendal and so became part of its prestigious history. Passionate about the estate, vines and wines, the family always works to improve lives for those at Meerendal, and the quality they produce.
The estate has a unique cool climate location with fertile and predominantly clay soils. The variety of elevations and orientations of the landscape, close proximity to the ocean with constant winds and a Mediterranean climate makes the terroir ideal for the cultivation of grapes.
The Meerendal Cellar dates back to 1943 when twenty open concrete fermentation tanks and concrete storage tanks were built. While these are still in use, the cellar now boasts modern stainless steel tanks and winemaking equipment, blending tradition with innovation.
10. Waterkloof Wines
Waterkloof is a wine estate in Somerset West, South Africa, known for producing biodynamic, “honest” wines that express their unique cool-climate terroir. They offer a range of wines across different collections, including their flagship Waterkloof range and the popular Circle of Life blends.
Waterkloof currently produces four wine collections: Its flagship Waterkloof range, which comprises a sauvignon blanc that epitomises their decade-long goal of producing pure, inimitable and world-class wines; the Circle of Life Red and White duo, which encapsulates the ultimate essence of Waterkloof’s terroir and farming philosophy; the elegantly expressive site-specific Circumstance range; and its Seriously Cool range, which features the Seriously Cool Cinsault and Chenin Blanc, hailing from some of the oldest vineyards in Stellenbosch.
Waterkloof’s sister company, False Bay Vineyards, produces two collections: the earlier-drinking yet refined Peacock Wild Ferment range, named after the brightly plumed birds prevalent in and around Waterkloof’s vineyards and the False Bay wine range of easy-drinking yet quality-driven wines of real individual character at an affordable, everyday price.
11. Creation Wines (Hemel-en-Aarde)
Creation is situated in one of the most biodiverse wine regions in the world, on the scenic Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, in the heart of the Cape Floral Kingdom. The estate is in a beautiful arena of undulating hills, surrounded by fynbos-clad mountains and rivers.
Inspired by Nature and meticulously crafted by cellarmaster Jean-Claude Martin, each single-vineyard wine in this range is the ultimate expression of its terroir and indeed an exquisite and multifaceted artwork in its own right.
– Pinot Noir
– Chardonnay
– Rhone Cultivares (Syrah, Grenache, Viognier, Roussanne)
Creation could not wish for a better geological pedigree. Set at the foot of the highest peak of Babylonstoren Mountain, the estate benefits from 590- to 255-million-year-old quartzite, Bokkeveld shale, and Koffieklip weathered and clay deposit soils that create a mineral-rich, 5-star formula for the vineyards.
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Picture: Klein Constantia
