Visitors usually travel to Cape Town on their way to other parts of Africa. Those who stay tend to zero in on the city’s beaches, mountain parks, and historic landmarks. There’s also plenty of shopping, food, and entertainment to keep any tourist happy. However, those willing to go a bit off the beaten track will find that touring some of the many vineyards in the region provides a memorable and enjoyable holiday.
Most visitors to the city are aware of the existence of vineyards as it’s difficult to find a restaurant that doesn’t serve local wines. And some will even take time to drive to one of the nearby vineyards to sample the vintage, eat at the restaurant, or even stay overnight in one of the guesthouses.
There are literally hundreds of vineyards in the Cape Penninsula region. Wines of South Africa, an wine marketing and educational organization, put together a map in celebration of 350 years of wine making in South Africa. It details fifteen separate wine tours available in the area.
Some of the more established vineyards include Kevin Arnold’s Waterford Estate, the Meerlust Estate, Thelema, and Franschhoek. Most vineyards offer tours and tastings. Many have their own restaurants with menus designed to complement their wines and still others have guesthouse or even boutique hotels attached, which offer an alternative to the city’s five star Cape Town hotels.
Wine making in the region dates back to the mid seventeenth century. Jan van Riebeeck arrived at the Cape in 1652 with the mission of establishing a garden. in 1655 the first vines were imported from France, Spain and the Rhineland. The first wine was pressed in February 1659. Six acres of the original Company’s Gardens are preserved as part of Cape Town’s botanical garden.