We spent three days of our time in Cape Town in the Stellenbosch and Kirstenbosch wine regions near Cape Town. These regions were only about a 45-minute drive from our apartment in Cape Town. That was the first thing that surprised Diana because the tours she looked at were very long. In this article, we tell you about the wineries we visited and the lovely lunches we enjoyed on the days we went wine tasting.
History of Winemaking in Cape Town
Cape Town is the oldest city in South Africa, having been established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652 to resupply ships travelling East. As such, it’s no big surprise that the next town founded was Stellenbosch in 1679 in a nearby verdant valley to grow supplies for the sailors.
Winemaking in the area was a logical next step given the climate. The oldest winery in the wider region, Groot Constantia, in the Constantia Valley, was established in 1685 and is still making Grand Constantia, a sweet wine acclaimed in literature by Austen, Dickens, and Baudelaire.
About the Stellenbosch Region
Stellenbosch is only 25 miles due east of Cape Town as the crow flies, but we humans have to drive around the Cape Fold mountains for about 40 minutes to get there. It’s worth it. Upon arrival, you are deposited in a series of beautiful valleys with low mountains as a backdrop. The region experiences a Mediterranean climate, which, combined with fertile soil from runoff from the mountains, creates a great climate for winemaking.
I should note that, as with wine regions pretty much anywhere in the world, the roads getting to a winery can be dodgy. Even though Google Maps never failed to get us to our desired location, we often wound up, correctly, driving through what appeared to be private property. In such cases, I figured we would just proceed and plead ignorance if confronted. At least we didn’t expect to stumble on a weed farm; doing so in Northern California can be hazardous to your health in more ways than one.
Guided by ChatGPT
As is the norm these days, Diana decided to employ ChatGPT to help with the planning. The result after a few tweaks of the query was a “two-day Stellenbosch wine tour itinerary, complete with Google Maps routes and booking information for each estate. This plan caters to your preferences for red, white, and sparkling wines, ensuring a delightful and memorable experience.” We broke up the two days so they weren’t back-to-back or on the weekend.
Ultimately, we visited about half of the recommended spots, since some were closed and others seemed repetitive. The booking info came in handy, and we augmented the itinerary with a couple of stops of our own.
Types of Wine Produced
In addition to the standard, noble varietals you see planted everywhere, like Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot, and Chardonnay, there are a few notable grapes and styles that are worth checking out should you make a stop in the area to enjoy some vino.
Cap Classique is South Africa’s answer to Champagne, and we found it to be generally very good. The grapes and methods are substantially the same as the famous French bubbly. We were quite happy with the product, although we weren’t looking to find a Dom Perignon substitute. I would be happy getting served a dry Cap Classique any time.
Chenin Blanc
Another old-world wine that is quite popular is Chenin Blanc. While I’ve found French Chenin Blanc to be a bit light on body, much of the Chenin Blanc we tried in SA had more to it, to our pleasure. Again, I wouldn’t be upset if I found some well-priced offering of this wine in my local shop.
Pinotage
The most distinct SA grape in Pinotage, which was developed by Prof. Abraham Perold in 1925 at Stellenbosch University. Perold crossbred pinot noir with cinsault (a.k.a. hermitage). Although Pinotage has gained acceptance in South Africa, that popularity has yet to be translated on the world stage. For ourselves, we didn’t care much for it, preferring more traditional grapes grown in the area.
Beyond that accomplishment, Perold is credited with kick-starting wine development in the region. Working at the university as their first professor of viticulture, he would introduce 177 grape varieties in SA over time. I, for one, am grateful for his contributions. đ
Wineries We Visited
Villiera was our first stop and a favorite for Cap Classique. We had reserved a tasting, and we were treated to a wonderful fireside experience. Our guide was not only knowledgeable about wine but also trained as a zoologist, so we enjoyed discussing the local fauna as we learned about the wine and the region. We can’t usually buy wine during travels because we have to consume it fairly quickly, but we made an exception here and picked up a split of the Cap Classique to savor in our flat.
Tokara
Our next stop was for tasting and lunch at Tokara. It’s clear as you walk past the art installations inside and out that this winery has some money behind it. We managed to snag the last window-side tasting table, where we enjoyed their shiraz as part of the sampler. We also made a lunch reservation in their restaurant, which included a very good 2-course steak menu with a glass of wine for $25pp. Gotta love prices in SA!
JC Le Roux
Our final stop that day was at JC Le Roux, a splashy winery focusing on bubbly. Honestly, it didn’t really float our boats. Marketing and image seemed to take precedence over the liquid product. Diana did indulge in a cheesecake sampler, as our lunch didn’t come with dessert.
Simonsig
A few days later, we set out to try more wines of the region, this time with still wines in mind. Simonsig was our first stop. It was a beautiful, older estate, but their wine wasn’t really speaking to us that morning. They clearly do have a following, so perhaps their wines will be more to your liking if you care to visit.
Jordan
Our visit to Jordan Winery (no relation to the same-named winery in Sonoma) was one of the highlights of our time in the region. We had booked a secluded lakeside picnic lunch. But when we saw that it entailed sitting on pillows on the ground for an extended period, we decided, for the sake of our “experienced” joints, to move the feast to a table on their patio. It was a good choice. They put out an appealing spread of meats, cheeses, nuts, flatbread, artisan loaves, and spreads. We luxuriated in the setting, along with a large variety of samples of their wine. They have a couple of rooms there, too. I would certainly consider spending a night to drink it all in, as it were.
DeMorgenzon
Another old school winery was DeMorgenzon, acclaimed for the Chenin Blanc. I liked it, but I thought the pricing was a little higher than some of the other offerings we had tasted, and I didn’t feel it was worth paying up for.
Rust en Vrede
Our final stop that day was at Rust en Vrede, a winery focusing on red wine. We grabbed a sampler there, as well. It was quite nice, but our visit was a bit low energy, owing to the long day we had already experienced.
About the Kirstenbosch District
Kirstenbosch is another wine-growing area near Stellenbosch, like Napa and Sonoma. Our last day of tasting was in the Kirstenbosch region, which is due south over the mountains above Cape Town. We spent the first half of our day in an extensive National Botanical Garden, which we will cover soon in another post. Our vino experience started at Groot Constantia, the aforementioned oldest winery in South Africa.
The wines and the experience were all quite nice, and it took all our restraint not to get some to bring home. They are still shipping their renowned Grand Constantia, in case you want to taste a bit of history.
Beau Constantia
Our last winery visit was at Beau Constantia, which sported a beautiful view of the valley, whether you were on their patio or taking a bio break. We chose to knosh on a meat platter while sampling their wine. It was a very pleasant way to round off our wine experience in South Africa.
Final Thoughts
As oenophiles (wine lovers), we had been looking forward to visiting the South African wine region for quite some time. The wines, scenery, and hospitality there did not disappoint! I would not hesitate to pick up some Cap Classique or Chenin Blanc in the region if I found it at a local shop.
Given the pricing and general experience, I would happily hang out for a month, going deeper into the wines of the region, enjoying their food and friendliness. I would probably bring along some golf clubs and sample the local courses to give my liver some rest days off. Perhaps someday in the future.
What do you like to pair with wine?
