I’ve been wanting to visit the wine lands outside of Cape Town, South Africa for a long time, so when Destination Southern Africa offered to let me hop on a tour, I jumped at the chance.
My guide JD of Hylton Ross picked us up in the morning and told me to “buckle up, and get ready for a day of heavy drinking.” Yipee!
Throughout the day, we were going to be visiting five different wineries and sampling five or six different types of wine at each. (If you’re doing the math, that means we’ll be tasting roughly 30 different types of wine… wowza).
We were fortunate enough to be on a very small tour, with only myself, my boyfriend, a couple from DC on honeymoon and a couple from Croatia, who were hilarious after 10 glasses of wine.
As we drove out to the wine lands, I took some time to marvel at the scenery. This area just outside of Cape Town is absolutely stunning, with large mountains and rolling hillsides.
Here’s where you should go if you want to take a tour of the Wine Lands in South Africa.
Anura Vineyards
Stop by Anura Vineyards, for a tour of their processing factory and a bit of history in how the grapes are grown. Did you know that South African soil primarily grows red grapes? Or that the pinotage grape is from South Africa? I didn’t!
From there, you’ll get down to get down to business–tasting six different blends of wine, including the Pinotage, a blended South African wine that’s a cross between a Pinot Noir and a Hermitage, with accompanying specialty cheese and crackers.
After Anura we went to another vineyard. Then another. Then another. That day we visited five wineries and it’s safe to say I was happily sleeping in the van on the way back to Cape Town.
The verdict? Our group unanimously decided that Anura had the best wine, and of their wine, the Pinotage was our favorite.
Rust en Verde
This Stellenbosch estate has been producing red wine for over 300 years and is consistently ranked as one of the best producers in the region. Visit for a tour of the cellar and a tasting that includes wine and snacks. The grounds of this property are absolutely beautiful and are reason enough to visit!
Vergelegen
Since the year 1700 Vergelegen has produced fantastic wines that have touched the lips of many heads of state and celebrities. One of the most famous wine estates in the region, they also frequently host events.
La Motte
When you get tired of visiting 300 year old wineries with stunning grounds (if that’s possible), head to La Motte. This charming estate has a gorgeous cellar and sprawling grounds. It was originally created by a French man, so it seems slightly different in appearance.
So there you go.
If you’re ever in Cape Town, don’t miss out on the chance to visit this gorgeous part of the country! The wine–and the scenery–are simply fantastic.
