What is the Cape Winelands known for?

With its collection of world-class wine farms, the Cape Winelands is the country’s top region for wine tasting tours. The famous open-air Wine Tram, which transports passengers between wine estates, is one of the most unique ways of exploring the Franschhoek Valley.

Where are the Winelands in South Africa?

The Cape Winelands district is a landlocked area in-between the West Coast and the Overberg coasts, including Drakenstein, Somerset West, Stellenbosch, Witzenberg and Breede River Valley, and Langeberg winelands. Collectively they are known as the ‘pearls’ of South Africa’s rural and small towns.

Which areas are in winelands?

The district includes five local municipalities, namely: Drakenstein, Stellenbosch, Witzenberg, Breede Valley and Langeberg. The area is one of the ‘pearls’ of South Africa’s rural and small-town subregions, but disparate with a relatively high and diverse level of development.

What is there to do in Cape Winelands today?

30 Things To Do and Places To Visit In The Cape Winelands

  • 3) Babylonstoren, Simondium.
  • 4) Spier, Stellenbosch.
  • 8) Delheim, Stellenbosch.
  • 9) Lanzerac, Stellenbosch.
  • 10) Franschhoek Historical Walk.
  • 11) Franschhoek Medical Herb Garden.
  • 12) Oude Slaven Huis restaurant, Franschhoek.
  • 14) Franschhoek Wine Tram.

How many wineries are in Cape Winelands?

560 wineries
There are currently some 560 wineries and 4 400 primary producers of vineyards in the Cape, divided by the Wine of Origin Scheme into 4 main regions: The Breede River Valley, The Little Karoo, Coastal and Olifants River.

When was Cape Winelands established?

1685
The Cape Winelands

Country South Africa
Province Western Cape
Main Routes Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl
Other Routes Wellington, Constantia, Robertson
Year Established 1685 (Constantia Estate)

What is the most famous wine region in South Africa?

Stellenbosch is home to nearly 31,000 acres of vines and is perhaps the best known of South Africa’s wine regions.

  • Elgin is nestled in the Hottentots Holland Mountains, around 1,100 feet above sea level.
  • Paarl has a rich winemaking history, with French Huguenots having planted vineyards as early as the 1680s.

    • What is Stellenbosch known for?

    Stellenbosch is known for its restored Cape Dutch architecture dating from the 18th and 19th centuries and for its streets lined with majestic oaks. Its gardens and parks include the Braak, a square set aside in 1703 as a military parade ground.

    What is the best wine farm in South Africa?

    Best Overall: Boschendal Of course, naming the best vineyard in South Africa is an incredibly subjective task, but Franschhoek’s Boschendal is not only one of the oldest wineries in the region (dating back to the 17th century), but also one of the consistently best-loved.

    How many wineries are in Cape Town?

    There are currently some 560 wineries and 4 400 primary producers of vineyards in the Cape, divided by the Wine of Origin Scheme into 4 main regions: The Breede River Valley, The Little Karoo, Coastal and Olifants River.

    Where were the very first vines planted in the Cape?

    In the early 1650s, Cape Town was established as a refreshment station along the Spice Route between Europe and Asia, and the first vines were planted by the Dutch governor, Jan van Riebeeck.