A good three to four hours north of Cape Town is the mysterious and beautiful region irrigated by the Olifants River. Between the towns of Citrusdal in the south, and Lutzville in the north-west, there are seven wine-growing centres, namely Cederberg, Goue Valley/Citrusdal, Klawer, Lutzville, Spuitdrift, Trawal and Vredendal. Orange groves waft the perfume of their blossoms in spring and, in the upland valleys, the indigenous rooibos tea is grown.
Unlike more well known wine routes, such as Stellenbosch or Paarl, where you can hardly get the car into second gear between wineries, the delights of the Olifants River Wine Route are few and far between – but well worth the drive. Also – while the wine makers and growers are as passionate about their craft as those found anywhere else, you’ll notice a distinct lack of pretension. The pace is relaxed, wine tasting is unhurried and relatively unsophisticated, and some cellars open only on demand.
In the past, the wines from this region were – at best – described as ‘quaffable’, but the quality has improved dramatically over the last few years. All in all, this is a great wine destination if you have loads of time, as the distances are quite significant. It’s also really worth doing in August and September, when the spring flowers are at their best.
If travelling from Cape Town, you could extend your trip to include the Orange River Wine Route.