Introduction and History
When Jan van Riebeeck landed at the Cape in 1652 to set up a victualling station for ships en route to the East Indies from Holland, he could not have imagined what a dynamic and beautiful country would evolve as South Africa. Wine was an important protection for the sailors against scurvy on their long sea voyage and the first vineyards were planted in the present day Cape Town suburbs of Wynberg and Constantia.
By the 18th century the famous sweet wine of Constantia was praised by Napoleon, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen and enjoyed in the royal courts of Europe in preference to the wines of France and Germany.
But it is only in the 1980’s that the full potential of Cape wines was realized, and especially after the democratic elections of 1994 and the election of President Nelson Mandela that the export markets of Europe, Asia and the Americas have shown enormous growth.
Geography
All the best wines of the Cape are grown within a radius of 300 kilometres of Cape Town which are cooler than the inland areas and where it rains in the winter months of July and August, long after the grapes are safely harvested in February and March each year.
The coastal districts include Constantia, Stellenbosch & Helderberg, Paarl, Franschhoek, Durbanville, West Coast, Tulbagh and the Overberg (especially Hermanus). Inland are Robertson, Worcester, Wellington, Klein Karoo and Swartland.
One of the great joys of your visit will be driving to the winelands. All the districts have well signposted routes, and farms welcome tourists, Many have relaxed and affordable eateries as well.
Planning your visit to the Vineyards
I would suggest you begin with a half day tour of Constantia as all five vineyards are on the slopes of the back of Table Mountain, in close proximity to each other. Groot Constantia (see the historical buildings), Klein Constantia, and Buitenverwachting are contiguous and make fabulous wines. Down the road are Steenberg (one of the best Sauvignon Blancs) and Constantia Uitsig – treat yourself at the best restaurant in South Africa.
The Stellenbosch & Helderberg district is recognized as producing many of our finest wines and requires at least a full day to get a decent sampling. I would visit Tokara, Ernie Els, Rust en Vrede, Waterford and Warwick with lunch at Terroir on the Kleine Zalze estate.
Franschhoek is known as the culinary capital of the Cape as it’s one kilometre Main Street is home to a host of top restaurants including Grande Provence, Reubens and Le Quartier Francaise. The wines are good but not up to the finest of Stellenbosch.
The seaside town of Hermanus, one and a half hours drive south of Cape Town is the whale capital of South Africa and attracts thousands of foreign tourists to view the Southern Right whales breaching in the Walker Bay. In the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, the Hamilton Russell and Bouchard Finlayson vineyards produce two of the best Pinot Noirs and world class chardonnays and should not be missed.
Further afield is Robertson which is too far to be worth a visit, whereas Durbanville is a better bet as it is only 20 minutes from Cape Town and has several beautiful farms such as Meerendal and Nitida.
The Wine Styles
It is relatively easy to understand the various styles of wines at the Cape as almost all of the grapes originated in France and Germany and are similar in flavour to these wines. The best whites are made from Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Chenin blanc, and Semillon with a little Riesling. The reds are also highly rated and include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz/Syrah, Pinot Noir and our local variety Pinotage (a cross between Pinot Noir and Hermitage, now called Cinsaut). In recent years several Mediterranean varieties have been planted with great success; such as Mouvedre, Grenache, Viognier (white) and even Carignan. In addition the Sangiovese of Italy is showing well.
We are not allowed to use the French term Champagne for our sparkling wines, which are labeled Methode Cape Classique if made according to the traditional champagne method. They are particularly good and are well priced.
After dinner wines such as port, sherry and sweet wines are well made at the Cape. Ports especially have proved very popular as have the noble late harvest style sweet wines.
Cape brandy is a serious rival to French Cognac and has a long history. They are aged for years in oak barrels to achieve a smooth full flavour making it the ideal digestif.
