At the Southern tip of the African continent, where two oceans meet, lies the city of Cape Town, a great wine capital and gateway to the South African winelands. For over 350 years the cultures of Africa, Europe and the East have met and mingled here, in the shadow of its famous landmark, Table Mountain. Creating a city that is both ancient and modern, culturally vibrant and rich in colourful history.

The Cape has witnessed many events in South Africa’s history and it was here that, in 1990, Nelson Mandela took his historic ‘walk to freedom’. It was here too, four years later that Archbishop Tutu described the new South African nation as ‘the rainbow people of god’, and the rainbow nation was born.

Today South Africa is a peaceful democracy and a dynamic country of enormous diversity. A winemaking tradition and history dating back over three and a half centuries blends the restrained elegance of the old world with the accessible, fruit driven styles of the new, making for varied and exciting wines which reflect the distinctive terroir of South Africa’s diverse wine regions.

THE REGIONS

The Cape winelands are breathtakingly beautiful and many of the wine routes, including Constantia, Durbanville, Darling, Stellenbosch, Helderberg, Paarl, Franschhoek, Wellington, Elgin and Walker Bay, are within an hour or less easy driving distance from Cape Town. A well developed infrastructure in the Western Cape includes top class hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, spas and golf courses. The various wine routes offer a wealth of activities from horse riding to mountain biking. The Cape has the best land-based whale watching in the world, unspoilt beaches, nature trails and an abundance of flora and fauna. For the daring there is quad biking in the mountains or the chance to come face to face with a Great White Shark. And, of course, there are the historic wine farms, offering tasting and excellent food.

For more information on South Africa’s wine regions click here.