Only true wine connoisseurs would know that the South African Wine Trail is a real dandy. While the valleys and rolling hills of Cape Town’s inner cities provide the best terroir for growing grapes and have produced some of the best wines in the world, there are newer wineries and vineyards being cultivated in areas that were never thought possible. These are the coastal areas of South Africa. With sometimes gale-force winds and mild temperatures, these areas were once thought unsuitable for growing the perfect grapes for making high-quality wines.
Hard working South African vintners have proven everyone wrong as the wines emerging from Cape Point (Two Oceans), Elim Valley at Cape Agulhas and Walker Bay have won all manner of awards both local and international and are taking the world by storm. of viticulture. . These grapes are grown in harsh conditions and in seemingly infertile soil like sea sand. However, the white wines that have been produced are of exceptional quality. They have been described as light and fruity with good texture and a unique flavor that lingers.
The coastal regions start from the Elim Valley at Cape Agulhas, which is the tip of Africa. Here the vines are quite old despite having recently entered the market. The vineyards were originally cultivated to supply the missionaries here with wines for religious blessing etc. It was determined that these could in fact produce dispensable wines and bottling and labeling soon began.
Moving further west, you will come to the Valley of Hemel in Aarde (Valley of Heaven and Earth), where most of Walker Bay’s vineyards are located. Many of these wines are crisp and flavorful with unique textures. There are very few fruity flavors, with stronger spicy, vanilla and earthy tones. This area not only produces excellent white wines, but also has a good selection of red wines that are interesting and smooth. The vineyards are fairly well sheltered in the valley and receive a temperate climate with cool breezes from the Atlantic Ocean.
Moving west again, you’ll reach the False Bay area, where the waters are warmer and the beaches are packed with tourists. Two Oceans wines come from this area near Cape Point and are affected by both Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean breezes, making the wine uniquely flavored and great with most foods. They are light and have a great flavor. Cape Point vintners are also starting to produce a red wine and recently saw the first crop of red grapes which they say looks very promising.
When you visit the coastal region of South Africa, don’t miss these wine tours. You can also include the Constantia area which produces award-winning wines from its 5 estates. The oldest wine farm in South Africa is located here, called Groot Constantia, and you can enjoy exquisite accommodation, meals and a fun wine tasting. Some may not consider this a coastal wine area, but in fact it is located just over the mountain from Noordhoek, 15-20 minutes from the east side and only 10-15 minutes from the west side at Muizenberg.
The other wine routes should also not be missed while in Cape Town, South Africa, especially Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl which form the Winelands, Robertson, Tulbagh, Swartland, Wellington, Worcester and the Breede River Valley which form Boland. and more inland regions. There are also wine farms and beautiful vineyards on the banks of the Orange River in the Karoo province of Mpumalanga, where semi-arid conditions produce impressive Muscadels and recently in the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal.
The coastal wine regions should definitely be included in your tours and will offer you a totally unique perspective and experience of wines and the wine industry. With the subtle flavors and cooler climate, you’re sure to enjoy these wines with any meal you have. The beauty of the area is also one of the reasons not to miss these regions, since you can get much more out of your tour and participate in many other activities such as hiking, biking, paintball, surfing, boating, shark diving, whale watching, whale watching, swimming, abseiling, mountain biking and climbing, paragliding, hang gliding, scuba diving, snorkelling and visiting the hundreds of attractions along the South African coastline. Some of these include the penguins at Boulders Beach, Cape Point and all its glorious features, the city of Hermanus, the Cape Agulhas Lighthouse and its museums, the beauty of Clarens Drive and Hangklip.
No matter which areas you decide to visit on your South African wine tour, you will find a great diversity of wines to sample, so if you can, visit all the regions and experience all the varieties.
