Cape Winelands

The Cape - Winelands

Cape Town’s metropolis huddles in the ‘bowl’ that is formed by majestic Table Mountain, its flanking peaks and the broad sweep of Table Bay. Suburbs and satellite towns sprawl across the low-lying Cape Flats and southwards over much of the scenically beautiful Cape Peninsula and the Table Mountain National Park. Inland are the grand mountain ranges and fertile valleys of the Cape Winelands, contrasting with the rugged, windswept West Coast (Cape Wilderness) and, beyond, bleak Namaqualand, which is transformed in spring with vast, sweeping fields of brilliantly coloured wildflowers. South Africa’s oldest city, Cape Town was founded by the first Dutch settlers who, led by Jan van Riebeeck, landed on the tip of Africa in April 1652. Set beneath the grandeur of Table Mountain, the area was described by English circumnavigator Sir Francis Drake as ‘the fairest cape in all the circumference of the earth’. The harbour is quieter than it was in the heyday of the great Union- Castle passenger liners, but a part of the waterfront has been imaginatively redeveloped for tourism, plenty of ships still call, and marine and mercantile industries contribute much to the local economy. Among the top attractions are the wide choice of eating and drinking places, excellent hotels, craft markets and speciality shops, a lively calendar of arts, superb beaches, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Table Mountain and the cableway and the Peninsula’s unique mountain and coastal scenery.

Cape Winelands

The Winelands of the Cape comprise a region of grand mountain ranges, fertile valleys, vineyards and orchards heavy with fruit, and of homesteads built in the distinctive and gracious style known as Cape Dutch. These were the first rural areas to be taken over by the early white colonists: they began infiltrating the traditional lands of the Khoisan people of the interior in the 1660s, turning the countryside over to pasture, the growing of wheat and, increasingly, the cultivation of wine grapes. The farms prospered, the colony expanded, and a number of small towns were founded: Stellenbosch in 1679, Franschhoek (‘French corner’, named for its Huguenot settlers) 10 years later, to be followed by Paarl, Wellington, Tulbagh, Worcester, Robertson and others, all of them worth visiting for their history and the beauty of their surrounds.

THE WINE ROUTES
Touring the various wine routes in and around Constantia, Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl, Worcester and Robertson is a very pleasant way to spend one’s day. There are hundreds of wineries and estates, so visitors with limited time will be able to cover only a fraction of them. A visit to four or maybe five is the most you can expect to manage in a day’s outing. Most cellars offer tours (at set times) and tastings, and there’s no limit to the number of wines you’re allowed to try, though many of the places charge a small initial fee. Some run excellent restaurants; at others there are farm stalls selling local specialities, gift shops, and sometimes galleries or museums.

Four Passes Fruit Route - If you’re in a motoring mood, the scenically splendid Four Passes drive leads you from Cape Town to Stellenbosch, and over the Helshoogte Pass which towers above the Drakenstein valley area. It then takes you past Boschendal Estate and Franschhoek, over the rugged Franschhoek Pass and through the apple orchards of Elgin and Grabouw, before bringing you home over the Hottentots–Holland range via Sir Lowry’s Pass and through Somerset West. You may also like to take Viljoen’s Pass to Vyeboom and Villiersdorp. If you feel inclined to taste a few wines, pay a visit to Anglo-American’s new multimillion-rand wine cellar on the Vergelegen Estate. Designed by a Parisian architect, the winery is built into the hillside and offers a 360- degree view unequalled by any Cape wine farm. You can enjoy a light lunch or stay for tea; visits to the winery are by appointment. Nature lovers shouldn’t miss a visit to the nearby Helderberg Nature Reserve, which offers lovely scenery, as well as interesting flora and birdlife.