Cape Winelands

If you’re looking for some scenic eye candy while wine tasting and vineyard hopping, I’d find it hard to believe there’s a better destination in the world than the Cape Winelands.  Just forty-five minutes northeast of Cape Town, the historic Winelands are not only known for their stunning landscape of majestic mountain peaks and vineyard covered valleys, but also for their fine wines, excellent dining scene and elegant Cape Dutch estates.  Welcome to wine heaven!  The only negative is trying to narrow down which wineries you want to visit… there are so many to choose from, it’s overwhelming! 

The towns of Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl are the most popular in the Winelands region and provide a good home base from which to explore.  Unless of course you want the ultimate pampering experience at one of the luxury resorts nestled in among the vines.  Being that I was traveling with my parents, we opted to stay downtown in Stellenbosch, known as the heart of the Cape Winelands.  This charming town is lined with oak trees, boutique shops, lively restaurants and bars and is home to the University of Stellenbosch, the country’s first and most prestigious Afrikaners university.  

We said goodbye to Cape Town and drove straight to Franschhoek, a picture perfect one-road town nestled in a valley surrounded by towering mountain ranges.  This upscale village is home to charming cottages, gardens, boutiques, cafes and some of the country’s best restaurants.  It’s too inviting not to stroll the tree-lined streets just to enjoy the ambience and the dramatic views.

Our first winery visit was to Haute Cabrière built into the lower slopes of the Franschhoek mountains.  We started with the cellar tour that included five wine tastings (all before noon) and their trademark sabrage, the dramatic decapitation of a bottle of bubbly by saber.  We then sat down to a delicious three-course lunch at their highly recommended restaurant.  It was so pleasant enjoying a bottle of wine paired perfectly with our food as we stared out across the valley at the neighboring mountain peaks. 

En route back to Stellenbosch, we hit Tokara, a wine estate many connoisseurs place high on their bucket list.  Known as one of the best wine producers in South Africa, Tokara’s modern design offers a different vibe from the typical Cape Dutch architecture of the region.  Perched on a cliff as you’re winding down the Helshoogte Pass, the views overlooking their vineyards and the Stellenbosch valley in the distance are breathtaking.  After our wine tasting, we wandered the grounds admiring the sculptures before following the vineyard trail to the lookout point.

For our full day in the area, we hired a driver so we could hit several wineries and thoroughly enjoy our tastings.  We started at Jordan, a beautiful estate known for making some of the country’s most popular wines with an outside tasting deck overlooking their lake.  From there we went across the street to DeMorgenzon, owned by the richest woman in South Africa, Wendy Applebaum, who insists Classical and Baroque music is played to the vines and fermenting wines twenty-four hours a day! 

Delaire Graff is an absolute must if you appreciate luxury at it’s finest.  This beautiful estate is the brainchild of Laurence Graff, famed British born diamond merchant and founder of Graff Jewelers.  The stunning views in every direction provide the perfect backdrop for their boutique hotel, exceptional spa, state of the art winery and highly recommended restaurant.  We made reservations to have lunch on their patio overlooking the picturesque landscape, which made it very hard to concentrate on the delicious food.  Our three-hour lunch was one of those experiences we’ll never forget thanks to incredible ambience, excellent wine and mouthwatering cuisine.  This property was hard to leave.

We still had time for one more winery, so we ended at Peter Falke.  Open until 7pm, this is a great option to finish your itinerary.  The beautiful Cape Dutch estate opens its back doors onto a lush lawn with relaxed seating under big umbrellas, begging you enjoy their generous wine tasting… Eight pours!  I’m really glad we hired a driver! 

On our way out of town the next day, we stopped at a few more recommended spots.  Meerlust, a family-owned wine farm dating back to the sixteenth century, is one of South Africa’s most respected wine producers and famous for their well known Rubicon.  Their views aren’t as great, but if you appreciate reds, the wines will more than make up for that. 

We also stopped at Vergelegen and Morgenster in Somerset West.  The first, a 263-acre estate established in 1700 and known for producing award-winning wines.  After trying several of them, we walked the grounds admiring the traditional Cape Dutch architecture, the rose garden and the 300+ year-old camphor trees, which have been declared a national monument.  At Morgenster, we sampled their non-alcoholic specialty… extra-virgin olive oils produced from olive trees that were imported from the owner’s home country, Italy. 

I wish we had a week to relax in this region, enjoying the slow, lazy days while sipping on excellent wines and indulging in the delectable cuisine.  All while taking in some of the most stunning landscapes I’ve ever laid eyes on.  Whoever you believe is earth’s creator, we need to thank them for the Cape Winelands.