Overnight Wine Tours
The best way to experience the Cape wine country is to sleep over in one of the local towns. These overnight tours afford a more leisurely, in-depth appreciation of the vineyards and cellars of these famous regions.
Franschhoek and Stellenbosch
We reach the Stellenbosch region after a 45-minute drive from Cape Town. Although this sunny region is best known for producing magnificent Cabernet Sauvignons, the cellar masters have perfected the production of many other well-known cultivars, such as Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Pinotage and Merlot. The warm climate here is also conducive to the growing of several white varieties, so all preferences are well catered for.
Today’s estate visits include heritage farms as well as more contemporary boutique estates, all of which produce outstanding examples of Cape fine wines.
The day in the Franschhoek valley brings a wonderful array of wines from an entirely different region. Here guests are treated to outstanding sauvignon Blancs and Chardonnays, together with a range of delicious Champagne-style bubblies.
The overnight accommodation on these tours is in small, well-established hotels or guest houses in the very heart of the towns we visit. Guests soon realise that Cape hospitality is in a class of its own! Dinner reservations are always made on behalf of our visitors.
Elgin and Walker Bay
These two more remote wards are cool climate producers, owing to both altitude and their proximity to the breezes off the cold Atlantic.
Situated only 45 minutes’ drive from Cape Town, the Elgin wine valley has long been regarded as Burgundy in disguise. We visit two of the top estates to sample the very varietals for which the French appellation has become so famous. Comparisons might be odious, but an increasing number of international wine aficionados have come to regard the Elgin wines as amongst the world’s best.
We proceed to a small family-owned winery in the Bot Rivier region where the winemaker prides himself on his award-winning range of Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Mourvèdre.
On this tour, the overnight accommodation is in the beautiful coastal village of Hermanus.
The following day brings us into the famed Hemel en Aarde valley of Walker Bay, where we visit one of the world’s acknowledged producers of premier Pinot Noir. In addition, we visit cellars making outstanding examples of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, amongst others.
Lunch today will have been reserved for you at a special winery where the food and wine pairings have become internationally renowned.
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Fantastic Tour!
John was our guide for touring Cape Winelands, and did a superb job of that and much more. He is knowledgeable about South African cultural and natural history, and was responsive and sensitive to our interests and needs. He knows the local restaurants and made recommendations based on our tastes and appetites. John also went the extra mile in making sure we were on time for early morning flights and in retrieving my friend’s lost passport. He is worth every Rand, and we would use him again.
– Leslie L