Touring the wine routes

© Jennifer SternThere are fifteen official wine routes, of which the oldest – and still the biggest and most visited – is Stellenbosch, which was started in 1971. As the wine routes are a marketing body, it is not mandatory for producers to join so you may find some great farms and cellars that are not represented by the wine routes.

Some wine growing regions are quite distant from other tourism destinations, and some involve travelling for a day or two out of Cape Town. For convenience, we've included what amounts to an independent wine route within the city of Cape Town, even thought it's not really official.

Unless you are very knowledgeable about wine it’s best to choose one or two reliable cellars or book a tour but, if you are of an adventurous nature, rent a car and explore. Although all tasting rooms are well equipped with spittoons for the sip and spit brigade, there is clearly a limit to how many wineries you can enjoy in one day. Most visitors find that two tasting experiences, followed by a leisurely lunch at another, is about as much as they can handle. Some of the regions and/or routes have centralised regional retail outlets where you can taste a range of wines from the surrounding area.

For marketing purposes, the wine regions are divided into Wine Routes. All of them are beautiful, and all are worth the trouble to get there – and each of them has an individual and special aspect that is found nowhere else.

For a fun experience, you could do an adventure wine tour – on horseback, on quad bikes, on a tractor or a horse drawn wagon. There is even a so-called wine route river trip, which is really just a gentle paddle with a picnic and some good local wine thrown in.

WARNING Be aware that South African drink-and-drive laws are strict, are enforced, and are there for your own good. If you don’t have a volunteer designated driver, rather take an escorted tour or hire a chauffeur-driven car.