Winelands, South Africa

Enjoy wine-tasting, cellar tours and delicious cuisine

Wine Estate in Paarl Valley, Cape Winelands

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The Cape Winelands is an area of exquisite beauty only 40 minutes from Cape Town, with rocky mountains overlooking green vineyards, oak avenues leading to elegant Cape Dutch wine estates as well as some of the most charming towns and villages in South Africa – Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl. The main pleasure of the Winelands is the enjoyment of the good life: appreciating the wine and the Cape Dutch architecture, enjoying long, lazy meals in one of the many excellent restaurants, browsing in shops and art galleries or taking scenic drives or walks in the surrounding mountains. This is not an area to be hurried - you can choose to visit for the day from Cape Town but those in the know set aside at least two or three nights in order to savour the area.

Explore the oak-lined streets of Stellenbosch, a bustling university town where the stunning backdrop of the Hottentots Holland Mountains, the tree-lined streets and the white gabled Cape Dutch homesteads all blend in tranquil harmony.
Enjoy the rural charm of the Huguenot settlement of Franschhoek, the foodie capital of South Africa, with its excellent restaurants, bistros and boutiques

Wine-making is a 300 year tradition in the Cape Winelands. Many of the world class wine estates welcome visitors and few people leave the Cape Winelands without a couple of bottles to sample during their holiday. You can meander along one of the well-mapped wine routes visiting whichever estates take your fancy. A number offer cellar tours where you learn how the wine is made. Or you can choose to join a wine tour...