There are four main areas known for their wineries in Cape Town: 1. Constantia, 2. Franschhoek, 3. Stellenbosch, and 4. Paarl.
Constantia is closest to Cape Town and only a 20-minute drive from the centre. So if you don't have a full day to devote to the Winelands, this is a great option. It’s easy to access without a car as you can just hop on the red bus tour from the V&A waterfront right by the Aquarium and then get off at the stop in Constantia Nek - the bus stop is right outside La Parada restaurant - from there you can actually hop on another bus route (the blue & purple route) which will take you on a little tour around a few different wine farms in constantia. You can then hop off again and get the red bus tour back to the centre of Cape Town. A bus ticket costs 295 rand (£11/$14) per person, which I think is pretty good for transport all the way to Constantia and back. The bus starts from 9am at the V&A and the last wine bus back to the city leaves from Constantia Nek at 5:25 pm
Alternatively, you can get an Uber, hire a car for the day or just hire a private driver.
Constantia Wine Farms:
Beau Constantia
@laurahelenbrown
Offers insane views of the Constantia wine valley from its outdoor terrace, stylish Chef’s Warehouse, and even from the toilets! (Don’t worry, the glass is mirrored so no-one can see you doing your business.) It’s nice to sit outside here, but on a cold or windy day, you can sit inside the tasting room and enjoy the views through the floor-to-ceiling windows
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Constantia Uitsig Wine Estate
@laurahelenbrown
Constantia Uitsig may be a historic wine estate, but its wine cellar is super modern. It’s made of glass, so you can see the barrels (and snippets of the winemaking process) through the walls!
This is a good wine farm to have lunch at if you’re not in the mood for the classic cheese board or charcuterie. I personally can’t imagine being tired of either of those choices, but there’s a sushi restaurant on site if you want something a bit healthier.
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Klein Constantia Estate
@laurahelenbrown
Klein Constantia is another beautiful and elegant wine estate where you can spend a happy afternoon sipping wine. It’s one of the most historic wine farms in South Africa, dating all the way back to 1685. If you want to do a tasting, it’s best to book, especially during the summer. You can do so easily via the Klein Constantia website.
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Groot Constantia-Trust
@laurahelenbrown
Groot Constantia is the oldest wine farm in the area and I also think it has the nicest wine. It doesn’t have the same epic views as Beau Constantia from the tasting garden, but the pretty Cape Dutch buildings and resident ducks make up for it.
You don’t usually need to book a tasting at Groot Constantia, and if you visit on the hop-on hop-off wine bus (which I highly recommend, by the way!) then this will be your first stop
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Eagles' Nest Wines
@laurahelenbrown
Eagles Nest was one of the most beloved wine farms in Constantia but they have permanently closed their tasting rooms. They will still make wines (including their amazing viognier!) but you can’t go tasting there anymore. This is a real shame, but there are plenty of other amazing wine farms in Constantia instead.
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Buitenverwachting
@laurahelenbrown
Buitenverwachting is another beautiful wine farm with mountain views and Cape Dutch architecture
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Constantia Glen
@laurahelenbrown
Constantia Glen is next to Beau Constantia, and it’s often overlooked in favour of its more famous neighbour. It’s a bit of an uphill walk to get to Constantia Glen, but the gorgeous views are worth it
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Constantia Uitsig Wine Estate
@laurahelenbrown
Constantia Uitsig may be a historic wine estate, but its wine cellar is super modern. It’s made of glass, so you can see the barrels (and snippets of the winemaking process) through the walls!
This is a good wine farm to have lunch at if you’re not in the mood for the classic cheese board or charcuterie. I personally can’t imagine being tired of either of those choices, but there’s a sushi restaurant on site if you want something a bit healthier.
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Steenberg Estate
@laurahelenbrown
Steenberg is another idyllic wine farm in Constantia with a first-class view of Table Mountain, beautiful gardens, a chic tasting room, and a hotel with a gorgeous infinity pool.
They don’t accept walk-ins at the tasting room here, so you do have to make a reservation. They have a bubbly tasting.
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Silvermist Organic Wine Estate
@laurahelenbrown
It’s the only certified organic wine farm in Constantia, and it’s a little bit out of the way, but it’s definitely worth it to make the trip. You could actually spend the entire day here because as well as wine tasting, they have a zipline that offers INSANE views and La Colombe, which is one of the top-rated restaurants in the whole of South Africa.
Silvermist is now on the Constantia wine bus route. You can walk to Silvermist from the Constantia Nek bus stop, which is right outside La Parada restaurant in 5 minutes. You can also walk there from Beau Constantia in 10 minutes. It’s super easy!
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Franschhoek Wine Farms:
Franschoek is a bit further away from the centre of Cape Town, about 1 hour 10 mins drive, but its worth the drive if you have time as there are plenty of wineries in the area to explore. A great option is to get on the Wine Tram 🚊 , it’s considered the best way to see the Franschhoek valley and is an experience in itself.
Hop on and off as you like, experiencing the different activities on offer, be it wine tasting, a cellar tour, lunch or just a stroll through the vineyards. And when you’re ready, simply hop-on to continue your journey. Take your pick between 5 different lines, each visiting a selection of wine estates showcasing a separate part of the Franschhoek Valley.
The Hop-on Hop-off experience allows you to curate and plan your own day. You get to choose how long you spend at each spot (within the line schedule, of course), where you eat, where you drink, and the activities you partake in.
You get on the tram either at the Franschhoek Terminal or the Groot Drakenstein Terminal (depending on the line), where you can grab a coffee before starting the journey.
From the terminals, you will be transported around your selected line’s loop of stops on a combination of double-decker tram and open-air tram-bus, allowing you to disembark when you like.
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Franschhoek Wine Farms:
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Boschendal Wine Estate
@laurahelenbrown
Boschendal is an award-winning wine farm with an incredible range of wines for you to try.
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Stellenbosch Wine Estates:
Stellenbosch is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the Western Cape. It's surrounded by the vineyards of the Cape Winelands and the mountainous nature reserves of Jonkershoek and Simonsberg.
If you have time, its totally worth spending a whole day in itself exploring Stellenbosch, the shops & restaurants in the main town area are lovely as well as the various different vine farms in the area
Stellenbosch
@laurahelenbrown
Stellenbosch is a university town in South Africa's Western Cape province. It's surrounded by the vineyards of the Cape Winelands and the mountainous nature reserves of Jonkershoek and Simonsberg. The town's oak-shaded streets are lined with cafes, boutiques and art galleries. Cape Dutch architecture gives a sense of South Africa's Dutch colonial history, as do the Village Museum's period houses and gardens
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Warwick Wine Estate
@laurahelenbrown
The Warwick Wine Estate is nestled against the Simonsberg Mountains and is the home of a beautiful vineyard, bistro, tasting room and deck, and most notably, picnic spots. Warwick offers an awesome spread of tapas and a bottle of wine of your choice in a basket to take out onto their grounds to enjoy with friends, family, or a significant other.
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Lanzerac
@laurahelenbrown
Have you ever heard of the Pinotage grape varietal? A quick history lesson to make Lanzerac stand out. Pinotage is a varietal grape made in South Africa, a crossing between Pinot Noir and Cinsault created by Professor Perold of the University of Stellenbosch back in 1920. It has become renowned as the grape of South Africa, and it was Lanzerac who first commercially bottled the Pinotage varietal.
Besides the extraordinary wine heritage of this farm, Lanzerac also boasts a wonderful chocolate and wine pairing that I could not recommend enough.
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Durbanville Hills Winery
@laurahelenbrown
Durbanville Hills is one of South Africa’s most prolific wine farms. It is renowned for the high-quality wine that is produced there at affordable prices. Not only are the wines delectable, but the tasting room also offers incredible views of Table Mountain and the Table Bay area.
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Somerset West Wine Estates:
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Diemersdal Wine Estate
@laurahelenbrown
The Diemersdal winery is a must for those looking to enjoy both exquisite wine and exquisite views.
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Klein Roosboom Boutique Winery
@laurahelenbrown
This family-owned wine farm offers a variety of delectable and easy-to-drink wines for you to choose from. Wine tasting at this farm takes place in their old concrete wine tanks, which have been knocked open to create cosy tasting caves.
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Bloemendal Wine Estate
@laurahelenbrown
This gem of a wine farm is one of the largest wine farms in the region spanning over 230 hectares. It is here that you’ll be able to find 360°, a beautifully designed wine-tasting hall constructed upon Kanonberg, blessing you with a full 360° view of its surroundings
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Paarl Wine Farms:
The third oldest settlement in South Africa, Paarl is steeped in history and culture. Besides being part of the Cape Winelands region, Paarl is the place where the Afrikaans language was developed,
Babylonstoren Wine Estate
@laurahelenbrown
, Babylonstoren, is one of the oldest Cape Dutch farms which boasts some of the most incredible and diverse fruit and vegetable gardens. It is worth visiting this farm for the gardens alone. But besides the beautiful garden bursting with fresh produce, it is home to a spa and a variety of workshops like soap-making, foraging, and culinary herbs, to name a few.
Frankly, there is so much to do and explore at Babylonstoren I don’t think you can fit it all in one day. You will have to plan ahead to make sure you see and do what most appeals to you. But if you are in pursuit of wine, I would recommend the Babylonstoren range as this gives you 7 wines to try.
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Plaisir Wine Estate
@laurahelenbrown
The beautiful Plaisir Estate is situated at the foot of the Simonsberg Mountain, between Paarl and Franschhoek. It is one of the largest wine farms in the Western Cape at 974 hectares, with some 400 hectares under vine. The wines produced here are inspired by the harmony of a rich history, the fertile soil and lush vineyards
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Arra Vineyards
@laurahelenbrown
Situated in the heart of South Africa’s Cape Winelands north of Stellenbosch, Arra Vineyards enjoys an ideal location where we grow, produce and bottle all our wines. The Klapmuts Mountain provides us with an abundance of water and shelters us from the Cape’s south-easterly winds, while providing our vines with ideal soils and north facing slopes for ample sunshine.
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Nederburg Wines
@laurahelenbrown
Located on the outskirts of the historic town of Paarl and around a 50 minute drive from the centre of Cape Town, Nederburg Wines has a long and proud winemaking legacy.
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Vrede en Lust Wine Estate
@laurahelenbrown
Located halfway between Franschhoek and Paarl around 45 minutes’ drive from Cape Town, Vrede en Lust is nestled at the foothills of the Simonsberg Mountain in South Africa’s most celebrated wine valley, Franschhoek.
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