Exploring the Cape Winelands The Region’s Best Wine Routes

Cape Town is one of Africa’s most visited cities, offering countless mountains, beaches, and exquisite cuisines. Just outside of this world-class city lies a whole other phenomenon – the Cape Winelands, a wine lover’s haven home to some of most impressive wineries in the world. The Cape Winelands is South Africa’s largest winemaking region, with vineyards offering remarkable wines paired with cosy accommodation choices, historic architecture, scenic backdrops, fine-dining restaurants and excellent wine tasting tours. Traveasy offers cheap tickets to Cape Town from the UK, taking you to the heart of the Cape Winelands. You’ll need more than a day to explore this expansive region; below are our recommendations on the best wine routes to stop at.

For Award-Winning Fine Wines - Constantia

The stunning Constantia Wine Route is the closest valley to Cape Town, no longer than a 20 minute drive from the city. The region is home to some of South Africa’s most prestigious wines, including delightful sauvignon blancs and the renowned Constantia dessert wine. The wine farms of this famous valley have an idyllic position between Table Mountain and False Bay, so there is some beautiful scenery to enjoy, as well as a micro-climate which has helped to produce some award-winning fine wines. Dating back to 1685, Constantia is the oldest wine producing region in the hemisphere, so the area is steeped in history, and there are many examples of Cape Dutch architecture to marvel at.

For Picturesque Settings - Stellenbosch

The spectacular Stellenbosch Wine Route is one of the most popular wine valleys in South Africa, located just 45 minutes from Cape Town. The beautiful town is surrounded by the Jonkershoek River Valley and Stellenbosch mountains, offering some immense settings. You’ll find an array of museums, art galleries, boutiques and coffee shops on Stellenbosch’s streets. The renowned wine region is home to over 150 wine warms and estates; many of them are historical, with spectacular examples of Georgian and Victorian buildings, hotels, and gardens. Stellenbosch is undoubtedly a gourmet capital; there are many fine-dining restaurants here serving sumptuous cuisines. Most of Stellenbosch wineries focus on producing red wines, but they have also produced some world-class premium whites and sparkly wines.

For Excellent Food & Wine Pairings - Franschhoek

The Franschhoek Wine Route is located less than an hour from Cape Town, and it’s situated in one of the most beautiful wine valleys in the world. Many of the wine farms here share a French Huguenot heritage, so there are a lot of French influences to be discovered. The vineyards produce some of the country’s finest wines, including classic vintages and the Cap Classique which is a premium sparkling wine. This quaint little village is renowned as the wine and food capital of South Africa; it’s adorned with restaurants galore, including some of the finest in the country. Franschhoek is the perfect destination for a day trip – there is just so much to explore here.

Book flights to cape town from UK and look forward to exploring the best of the Cape Winelands.