In a place that is world-famous for its exceptional wines, it goes without saying that a wine tasting tour in Cape Town should be right up there on your travel bucket list. You’ll soon realize just how spoiled you are for choice when it comes to great wines as it’s surrounded by award-winning wine estates.
Selecting the top 10 wine farms in Cape Town has not been an easy task but the one’s I’ve selected rise out above the rest because they focus not only on their wine but offer an extraordinary experience.
The 300-year old Morgenster Estate is, situated in the wonderful Helderberg Wine Region in Somerset West and is a flourishing mix of Italian and French culture. They are famous for delivering Bordeaux-styled red wines, Italian varietal wines and the best Extra Virgin Olive Oil on the planet. 95 at Morgenster is the Estate’s acclaimed eatery serving legitimate Italian food and exceeds expectations in all areas. It is the ideal mix of excellent food and fine wines in a sentimental setting.
Going to Waterford Wine Estate is outright euphoria, driving down the road fixed with citrus orchids you sense that you have been transported to a different universe. It is an entirely different affair with a Mediterranean vibe, styled along the perfect Bordeaux manors of France with a terracotta impression.
The Tasting Room has plush couches or you can sit on the open, peaceful stone veranda, both the ideal setting for a relaxed evening of quality wine sampling. The Chocolate and Wine Pairing is electrifying and will be a highlight. The estate offers a one of a kind two-hour Wine Drive where you can test their award-winning winning wines in the vineyards in a safari-like vehicle while taking in the amazing views of the Helderberg Mountains.
There can be no better prologue to the white wines of the cape than the effective, organized and age-commendable Reserve Chenin Blanc wines from the acclaimed home of De Morgenzon. Owners Hylton and Wendy Appelbaum acquired the estate in 2004 and keep on raising the quality bar for their wines no matter how you look at it. Winemaker Carl van der Merwe creates a Chenin like no other in the area – barrel matured, it demonstrates perfect tropical organic product takes note of, a rich sense of taste and smooth surface, offset by liberal sharpness.
The high-height mountain vineyards contain some Shiraz, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and different assortments, in spite of the fact that the superstar keeps on being the De Morgenzon Chenin. The Estate invites guests and has as of late put resources into a delightful, redesigned tasting room.
Established in 1693, this noteworthy wine estate is situated Stellenbosch wine region and is famous for the artistry and smoothness of both its whites and reds.
Truth be told, their lead Bordeaux mix Rubicon was one of the first to show up in the locale and has turned into an international sensation. Hannes Myburgh is the eight generation owner of this awesome wine estate. This is a sizable operation with more than 400 ha of vineyards, incorporating some encouraging Viognier in False Bay.
Be that as it may, the stars are as yet the superb reds: a supple, exquisite Pinot Noir and outlandish, yet organized Merlot, are complimented by their dazzling Bordeaux impersonation, a wine of significant profundity and ‘rearing’. It’s rich concentrated sense of taste and a sizable chunk of cedar and dim natural products is sufficient to convert over any wine-lover to the wonderful taste of cape reds.
One of the most established wine estates in the cape district, Rust en Vrede was founded in 1694 and continues to be one of the Stellenbosch leaders of premium wine creation. The Engelbrecht family assumed control in 1978 and have exclusively centered around red wine creation. These are unashamedly capable, new world ready style wines with the concentrated meaty single vineyard Shiraz being the estate’s blockbuster wine.
The vineyards are situated toward the south of Stellenbosch, against the marvelous background of the Helderberg Mountains. Shiraz, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are developed as varietals and mixed to frame the genius, plump Estate red, which profits by no less than 5 years cellaring on discharge. An amazing selection of lavish cape reds.
The historical Groot Constantia is the oldest wine estate in South Africa, dating back to the late 1600’s. Nestled in the Constantia Valley, lies the 330-year old Wine Estate. Groot Constantia produces a variety of award-winning whites and reds that enjoy international acclaim. The prestigious Groot Constantia Grand Constance is South Africa’s most established wine and is the finest case of the well known “Constantia Wyn” as enjoyed by Emperors and Kings. The Estate additionally incorporates two top class eateries and a conference facility.
Diemersfontein is famous for it’s enclosed grandeur of beauty, poise and charm. A blissful Wine estate situated in the heart of the Cape Winelands and only 45 mins drive from Cape Town. Although famous for their award-winning Pinotage, there’s so much more to taste. Spend an afternoon in their tasting room, and sample their full range of wines, including the Diemersfontein Original range, our Flagship Carpe Diem range, as well as the Thokozani Range.
The historic Kanonkop wine estate is a 30-minute drive outside Cape Town, at the edges of Stellenbosch. A tour of the estate takes you into a hall of open shallow concrete vats used for hand-punching and fermenting after harvest. The Pinotage range is intense with a tannic aftertaste. It is extracted from 50-year-old bush vines and aged in French oak barrels.
Winemaker Hagen Viljoen is just 32, yet has solid thoughts regarding the wines he needs to deliver, and this is positively a winery with a dream, making a solid endeavor to enable the helpful black workforce. The history of this farm goes back four centuries and they have a museum, situated in the authentic 1740 wine cellar. An illustration of life when all farms and wineries were originally worked with slave labor. The selection of wines to taste are brave mixes of exceptionally focused Rhone varietals, for example, Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Mourvèdre, made basically from dried up grapes.
Tokara is the modern face of Stellenbosch winemaking. The winery is a dazzling case of advanced engineering, loaded with brave contemporary workmanship. Unfortunately, Tokara’s mark Pinotage won’t be accessible for quite a while, as the larger part of their old vines were annihilated in a fire. Still, don’t miss the straw-hued Director’s Reserve White, a dynamic mix of Sauvignon and Semillon, while the Syrah, hand-picked from the slopes of the Simonsberg Mountain, is extraordinarily exceptional in flavor and color.
For more information on South African Wine farms and how to visit them when in South Africa Explore Sideways has all the information you will ever need.