Wine Regions
When rough sailors first planted vines in the Cape they hoped to produce a drink whose alcohol content would let it stay fresh longer than plain drinking water, for their journeys on sea. They never could have imagined that their humble efforts would grow into one of the world's most successful wine industries.
The South African Winelands region has many fine wine estates offering wine tasting and cellar tours as well as gracious farm accommodation and hidden restaurants. There are now hundreds of different wine farms producing anything from simple table wines to award-winning special vintages.
The Cape Winelands is a loose term used to describe several quite distinct wine-growing regions spread over several hundred kilometers.
Production zones in the Cape winelands are divided into officially demarcated regions. There are four main regions, the Breede River Valley, Klein Karoo, Coastal Region and Olifants River.
Breede River Valley
The Breede River which flows through the fertile Valley, gives the Breede River Valley its name. The Breede River Valley region is the largest wine producing area in South Africa. It consists of Worcester, Robertson and Swellendam.
Worcester is South Africa's biggest wine-producing district, producing nearly 25% of the country's wine and spirits. It is the capital of the Breede River Valley and eencompasses Wolseley, Rawsonville and the picturesque Hex River Valley.
It is the most important brandy producing area and home of the KWV Brandy Cellar, the largest of its kind in the world. To the wine lover, Worcester offers a big Wine Tasting Centre, where one can savour the excellent Breede River wines. The KWV Brandy Cellar is definitely worth a visit.
Robertson is renowned for the quality of its wines. It is the source of some of the Cape's finest red wines, particularly Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. The distinctive fortified dessert wines for which it was originally famed continue to be produced.
Klein Karoo
The Klein Karoo Wine Route in the Southern Cape is the most diverse of South Africa's wine regions. It is the easternmost wine producing region in the country and stretches from Montagu to Oudtshoorn in the west and encompasses the district of Calitzdorp.
Calitzdorp is the source of the country's finest Port wines. Port-grape varieties prefer a hot, dry, climate such as that of Calitzdorp. There are many similarities between the climate of Calitzdorp and the Douro valley in Portugal.
These port - wines are produced from internationally recognized varieties such as Tinta Barocca and Touriga Nacional.
Coastal Region
The Coastal Region covers what many would consider to be the most famous of South Africa's wine producing areas including Constantia, Paarl and Stellenbosch in the Cape Valley.
The Constantia Valley is the most historic of the country's wine growing areas. Four of the five estates in the region form part of the original farm, Groot Constantia, established in 1685 by Simon van der Stel, the first Dutch Governor of the Cape.
This is a good region for Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Cabernet. There's a legendary Muscat produced here called Vin de Constance, a wine regarded by many as a benchmark.
Paarl is situated beneath a large granite outcrop formed by three rounded domes. This scenic town is home to the KWV and the venue for the world-renowned Nederburg Auction.
It is one of South Africa's premier wine producing districts and some of the most prestigious wine producers are situated here. Chenin Blanc accounts for a lot of the vineyards, but Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsaut and Pinotage are widely cultivated.
Located close to Paarl, Wellington is known for its top quality red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinotage as well as old favourites such as Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.
The Franschhoek valley is a small but significant region. The area is distinctively French and many of the wines are created in traditional French ways. With its profusion of trendy restaurants it can rightfully claim to be the gourmet capital of the winelands. It offers visitors a wide range of wines to accompany fine French cuisine.
Stellenbosch is a picturesque university town and one of the most visited spots in the Cape. Renowned for its Cape Dutch architecture and oak-lined streets, Stellenbosch is also home to many of the country's leading wine estates.
The district, with its mix of historic estates and contemporary wineries, produces excellent examples of almost all the noble grape varieties and is known for the quality of its reds such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinotage, and Shiraz.
Durbanville hosts several estates and wineries situated mainly on the rolling hill slopes of the Northern suburbs and make a wide variety of wine styles. This is one of the less commercialised wine routes but produces some sophisticated wines at affordable prices.
North-west of Durbanville is the Swartland (Black land), a region named for the characteristic dark foliage of its bushes. This region is particularly dry and harsh and a large percentage of the vines in this area are grown under dry land conditions in bush form. Vines are grown without irrigation and the resulting wine is of an excellent quality with various concentrated flavours.
Tulbagh is a small area east of Swartland and the vineyards of this district grow alongside orchards and fields of wheat. There are 16 wineries and several of them are relative newcomers making acclaimed wines with local cultivar Pinotage. Tulbagh's historic Church Street boasts no less than 32 national monuments.
Olifants River
This region stretches in a belt from north to south along the broad valley of the Olifants River. It incorporates the Cederberg Mountains and Lutzville Valley.
The Olifants River is famous for its rooibus tea, citrus fruits as well as fine wine. The region is home to the country's highest cellar, situated 1150m above sea level.
The wine route winds over 200km through the Cederberg Mountains and Namaqualand, famed for its profusion of wild flowers in South Africa's spring.
Nestled between the picturesque Cederberg and surrounded by numerous orchards of citrus fruits is Citrusdal. Citrusdal Cellars produce exceptional wines from grapes grown high up in the Cederberg and Piekenierskloof mountains.
Tourists should visit the "Goede Hoop Citrus Koöp" as well as the Golden Valley Wine Cellar. These two can be described as the heart of Citrusdal. The Golden Valley Cellar has wine tasting facilities where visitors are welcome.
