09h30 - 17h00

This tour is a leisurely journey through this famous wine valley.

Our “vertical tasting” begins with fine wines from  estates on the valley floor and ends at a winery on the high hillside.

In between, we sample seriously old vintages from the smallest estate in the valley. These red wines are testimony to the careful crafting and cellaring of the owner.

Lunch on tour (own account) will have been reserved for you at a fine restaurant on a heritage estate in the valley.

09h30 - 18h00

The day begins with a very personal tasting at a boutique winery where family members are all involved in the production of their award-winning wines.

We proceed to another family-owned estate in the heart of the Stellenbosch valley. This farm offers not only outstanding red and white varieties, but also fine examples of classic Cape Dutch architecture.

For the lunch stop (own account but reserved for you) we drive directly into Stellenbosch (founded in 1679).  We will have time for a stroll through this old Dutch village with its oak-lined avenues and array of interesting coffee shops and art galleries.

After lunch we visit an estate where we taste, and hear the story of, Cape Chenin Blanc. This varietal is given its full expression by the winemaker acknowledged to be the ultimate master of this grape.

09h30 - 18h00

Today we experience the old and the new!

In the heart of the village is one of the oldest wine estates in the province. Here, within the cool interior of the historic Cape Dutch homestead, we sample a range of reds and whites to suit every palate.                                                                 

We travel the short distance across the valley floor to the foothills of the Klein Drakenstein mountains where we are warmly welcomed to our second wine tasting venue. This is a very contemporary winery set within a magnificently landscaped mountainside park.

Unusually, many of these vines are grown according to the “stake system” where each vine is supported vertically upon a single wooden stake, allowing a far greater exposure to sunlight.

The tasting of their range of wines is followed by lunch in the beautifully appointed estate restaurant.

Our final call is at a family farm where hospitality is a hallmark. A wide range of excellent regional wines is available, within a full Cape farmyard experience.

Aaah Franschhoek! The corner of the French!

Settled first by the Dutch and soon after by French Huguenot families, this wine valley has become synonymous with fine wines and outstanding cuisine.

We include three valley estates to showcase these uniquely regional wines. Lovers of Chardonnay will be treated to particularly exceptional tasting experiences, but this valley has no limits on cultivars grown over centuries.

One of our visits will be in support of a local black winemaker who emerged from dire poverty to establish an excellent boutique winery producing truly delicious wines.

Lunch today will have been reserved for you in a well-loved restaurant in the Franschhoek village.

09h00 - 18hoo

An hour’s drive from Cape Town puts us into the heart of this elevated wine growing region, home to the highest altitude vineyards in the country.

These cool climate wines have established themselves on the international stage of fine wines, and the fruit grown here is in great demand from the warmer-climate wineries in the valleys below.

Our day excursion includes visits to three of these lesser-known estates, with a lunch reservation at an excellent valley restaurant.