The Cape Winelands

by andrew on 06 December 2010

An hour’s drive from Cape Town lie the Cape Winlands, home to delicious cuisine, breath taking settings and of course world renowned Cape wines.

The most well know and thus most frequented wine farms lie in the Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek regions, though there are plenty of other regions loaded with character and charm and worth investigating.

If you are wine enthusiasts it’s worth looking into either booking a Cape winelands tour, or hiring a mini bus and driver for the trip, Drive South Africa can assist you with Cape winelands day tours, chauffeured minibus trips or winelands self-drive holidays

Map of the Western Cape Wine Route - click on the blue pins for directions to Stellenbosch, Paarl, Franschhoek, Worcester, Robertson, Tulbagh, Bonnievale, McGregor and Montagu

Stellenbosch Wine Farms

The second oldest town in South Africa is beautifully maintained, oak lined streets and cosmopolitan flare, courtesy of the town’s established university, and over 300 wine farms make this a must for first time visitors to the Cape. For great guidelines on getting the most out of the Stellenbosch wine route visit the Stellenbosch American Express Wine Routes website

Paarl Wine Farms

Heralded by the impressive Paarl Rock, the town of Paarl is established around the countries longest main street, a lengthy 12 kilometres full of eateries, shops and antiques stores. This main street is a good starting point to gain a sense of Paarl, before heading out to the surrounding wine farms. For detailed information about the town of Paarl and her wine farms see the Paarl Tourism website.

[photo by Geoftheref]

Franschhoek Wine Farms

Perhaps the most popular of wine regions Franschhoek attracts a broad range of visitor from Sunday motorbike clubs to wine connoisseur, some come for the idyllic setting, others for the magnificent array of restaurants and eateries, some for the excellent wines and of course some for the intoxicating fusion of all of Franschhoek’s attractions. More information about Franschhoek can be found at franschhoek.co.za.

Worcester Wine Farms

Worcester is situated between the Hex River and the Brede River on Route 62, surrounded by majestic mountains and situated in the South Africa’s biggest wine producing district. Worcester is ideally situated to explore the wine farms of Worcester and the surrounding areas of Tulbagh, Ceres and Robertson. The KWV brandy-distilling cellar is located on Church Street and is the largest of its kind on earth. For more details on Worcester see the Worcester Tourism site.

Robertson Wine Farms

Further along Route 62, Robertson’s jacaranda line streets and a warm welcome await visitors to the small town with a big heart. Famous for its wines it’s situated next to the Breede River and offers activities from golf to skydiving. For more details see the Robertson Wineries website

[photo by Martin Heigan]

More Route 62 Wine Farms

A series of smaller, more rustic towns lie close to Robertson, their lack of tourist infrastructure part of their allure. Bonnievale, McGregor and Montague are all at the heart of the Brede River Valley. Each settlement exhibits a unique charm and a great selection of wines and wine farms. If lazy weekends of good food and wine spliced with the occasional walk take your fancy, you’ll feel completely removed from the hustle and bustle of the real world in Bonnievale. McGregor is a timeless 19th century town on Route 62 flanked by two nature reserves, while Montague juxtaposes its quaint architecture with its hive of outdoor and adrenaline activities. For more information on these botique Cape wineland regions see:

Tulbagh Wine Farms

Increasingly popular as a wedding venue, Tulbagh’s beauty is immediately captivating. Surrounded by picturesque mountains, the small town becomes a bustling centre on weekends when tourists and wine lovers explore this pictorial valley. Find out more about Tulbagh at Tulbagh Tourism.

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