With a viticultural history dating back to the Dutch settlers of the 1600s, the Cape Winelands is one of South Africa’s most famous regions. And it’s most beloved. Just nose through the wine cellars of the best African safari lodges and you’ll find them stacked to the rafters with some of the Cape’s finest.
The oak-lined suburbs of Constantia and Stellenbosch saw the country’s first terroir selections in the 1650s, followed thirty years later by asylum-seeking French Huguenots who brought their craft – and their culinary prowess – to the rocky folds of what is now the Franschhoek (meaning “French corner”) valley.
Today, countless wineries of the Cape boast perfect expressions of single varietals and creative blends. Their bold, heady reds, playful whites and softly sparkling MCCs (Cape Winelands very own champagne) are all on show, paired with art galleries, white washed Dutch gables, laidback lunches and Wine Tram shenanigans. (Watch your step!)
