South Africa is renowned for its incredible diversity, fascinating history, and stunning beauty, making it a unique destination for wine lovers. The legendary Western Cape is a prime example of this, offering a wealth of experiences for those seeking to explore its vineyards and cellars.
Over the past 20 years, a new generation of younger producers has brought acclaim to once little-known regions such as Paarl, Elgin, and Franschhoek. In this idyllic part of the world, the wine lover is spoilt for choice with modern cellars, boutique hotels, stunning landscapes, and superlative gastronomy that are on a par with Provence and Tuscany.
Wine tasting is a quintessential Cape Town activity. There are four main wine regions in and around Cape Town, and I’ve had the pleasure of visiting each one several times. It’s a tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it! In this article, I’m going to focus on taking day trips to these areas from the city rather than doing overnight stays in the winelands. I’ll give you an overview of each region, highlight my favourite wineries, and share the best ways to explore without the need for a designated driver.
Exploring the Wine Regions
Stellenbosch and Franschhoek are definitely Cape Town’s most famous wine regions. They’re located close together, about an hour from Cape Town. Now, you can usually take an Uber to and from these areas just fine but Uber is not a very convenient way of getting between the wineries. It can often take a while to find a driver who will accept a short trip out in the winelands, and signal can be patchy on some of the farms. Fortunately, each region has its own little transport system set up to help visitors explore the different wineries without a car.
Stellenbosch
Stellenbosch is a cute university town filled with white Cape Dutch buildings, and it’s surrounded by wine farms! I’ve got a 2 or 3 day Stellenbosch itinerary here if you have time to stay for a few nights, but if not no worries because it’s easy to do a day trip from Cape Town. My favourite wineries here include Alto, Peter Falke, and Waterford.
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The Stellenbosch wine tractor is a relatively new hop-on hop-off wine tasting experience. It launched in 2024, but it has quickly gained popularity because it makes it so easy to go wine tasting in Stellenbosch without the need for a sober driver. Of course, I had to try the wine tractor out for myself and you can read my full review of the experience here.
You can book the wine tractor tour to start between 9:30 am and 12:30 pm. Your start time doesn’t affect when the tour finishes. We booked the tour for 10:30 am and visited four wineries, with plenty of time at each. The tour starts at Eikendal Vineyards and you can either take an Uber there and back or arrange transport with the company after booking. To be honest, Uber will probably work out cheaper.
Once you get to the vineyards, you’ll get a welcome glass of rosé and you’ll have time to chat to the staff about which wineries you want to visit. Once you’ve decided, they’ll tell you which tractor to hop on, and away you go! I definitely recommend visiting Alto and Peter Falke, as they’re both very beautiful.
Franschhoek
Franschhoek is famous - or should that be infamous? The Franschhoek Valley is about an hour from Cape Town, and as far as I know it’s home to the only wine tram in the world. There are tons of wineries in Franschhoek, and the tram has several different routes you can take. The Navy Line is the best one I’ve tried but to be honest, it doesn’t matter too much which route you take. As far as I’m concerned, the wine tram is really the only way to do Franschhoek!
Franschhoek Wine tram 🍷 7 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW IN LESS THAN 5 MINUTES⏳
And if you’re coming from Cape Town, I highly recommend booking the wine tram explorer tour, which includes tram tickets and return transport between Cape Town and Franschhoek. You can read my full review here, but I think that this is the easiest and most affordable way to experience the Franschhoek wine tram from Cape Town!
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The bus leaves from the V&A Waterfront at 8:30 am, so it’s a bit of an early start but I promise it’s worth it. There’s commentary on board and you’ll get some info on the different wineries. Then, when you get to Franschhoek you’ll hop on the tram and enjoy a welcome glass of wine as you head to your first stop of the day. You can then visit up to five wineries over the course of the day, although personally I prefer to stick to four and have a leisurely lunch somewhere.
With the wine tram tour the route you take does vary depending on the time of year. Sometimes there’s a choice and sometimes there’s not! Saying that, if you pick the Navy Line, make sure to visit Bartinney as it’s my all-time favourite wine farm!
Constantia
Constantia is an affluent suburb of Cape Town. It’s the home of many wealthy families - and many wine estates! Now, I’m no sommelier, but I think that Constantia has some of the best quality wine in Cape Town. It’s also easy to visit, since it’s close to the city. For that reason, this is the area I’ve visited the most often, as it’s convenient and easy to get to if you just want to do a half-day of tasting.
You can just take an Uber to Constantia if there’s one particular winery you want to visit, but if you want to check out more than one then I recommend using the Constantia wine bus.
The Constantia wine bus is a fun and flexible way to go wine tasting. Open-top buses run from central Cape Town out to Constantia every 20 minutes from 9 am until 5:15 pm. This gives you a ton of flexibility and it means you don’t have to commit to an entire day of tasting if you don’t want to!
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To catch the bus, you’ll need to buy a general ticket for the Cape Town hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus. The ticket gives you access to multiple sightseeing routes but to go wine tasting, you’ll want to take the Blue route to Constantia, where you’ll then change to a smaller bus that zips between wine farms.
There are three wineries on the route: Silvermist, Groot Constantia, and Beau Constantia. Basically, I recommend skipping Silvermist if you’re short on time. It’s not that great and the tasting room feels more like a gift shop. Groot Constantia is one of South Africa’s oldest wineries and Beau Constantia is a true knockout, so they are the ones to focus on!
Durbanville
Durbanville is one of Cape Town’s northern suburbs. It’s roughly a 30-minute drive from the city centre, and boasts about a dozen wineries. Until recently, there weren’t many wine tours of Durbanville, but now the hop-on hop-off wine safari is here!
It starts at the the Protea Hotel in Durbanville, which is about a 20-minute Uber ride from central Cape Town. From there, takes you to three wineries over the course of the day. There are usually 2-3 routes to choose from, but I recommend the Southern Line as there are more wineries on offer.
When we did this tour, we visited Klein Rosboom, Maastrict, and D’Aria. They were all absolutely wonderful, so I can recommend all three. And wherever you choose to go, the guides will just drop you off and tell you what time to be ready for pickup. It’s super easy!
I’ve got a full guide to the Durbanville wine safari here, but basically, it’s a ton of fun and the perfect way to explore Cape Town’s most underrated wine region. The availability changes throughout the year but it’s usually weekends only.
Planning Your Wine Tour
Ultimately, a custom-designed luxury experience is about you, and we can pack in as many or as few activities as you desire. Your unforgettable tour of South Africa starts in the stunning coastal city of Cape Town, where your private driver will be waiting to take you to your luxury accommodation in South Africa’s most dynamic city. Check in, freshen up, and then enjoy an excellent lunch at the Pot Luck Club, founded by entrepreneur Luke Dale-Roberts.
Dubbed ‘Cape Town’s coolest restaurant,’ the Pot Luck Club is all about tapas-style dining, sharing small plates including delicacies such as licorice-glazed sweetbreads and pancetta, peri-peri chicken, or perhaps beef tataki with a hoisin dressing. After lunch, the choice is yours. Relax at the hotel or visit the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town’s biggest shopping and restaurant complex. Most importantly of all - relax! There will be plenty of time to freshen up before your first wine tasting at the delightful Publik.
Dedicated to sourcing wines from sustainably farmed vineyards, a night at this chic bar is the perfect end to your first day in Cape Town. A glass of Le Lude Brut sparkling wine? Head less than half an hour south this morning and a scenic drive to the Constantia wine country, the oldest wine region in South Africa. The first vineyards were planted in the 1600s, and the area is rich in beautiful Cape Dutch architecture.
You will visit Klein Constantia, South Africa’s oldest commercial vineyard. While they first came to fame for their delicious sweet wine Vin de Constance from the Muscat grape- still one of their finest wines- today, the winery also produces a superb range of varietal wines, including a brilliant Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. A great introduction to premium Cape wine; you will also get to try the delicious Cap Classique, a local sparkling wine. Moreover, talented winemaker Mathew Day will be on hand to answer any questions you may have.
Ready for lunch? We hope so, as Bistro Sixteen 82, owned by the Steenberg winery, is one of the Cape’s best. Enjoy local dishes in a relaxed bistro setting paired with a healthy selection of Steenberg’s finest wines. It’s then time for the adventure of a lifetime in the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens and Table Mountain.
After all that excitement, you will undoubtedly want to relax at the hotel before dinner at one of the city’s leading gastronomic destinations- The Test Kitchen.
A Sample Itinerary
Day 1: Cape Town and Constantia Wine Route
- Morning: Visit Klein Constantia, South Africa’s oldest commercial vineyard.
- Lunch: Bistro Sixteen 82 at Steenberg winery.
- Afternoon: Explore Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens and Table Mountain.
- Dinner: The Test Kitchen.
Day 2: Vergelegen and Iona Winery
- Morning: Visit Vergelegen, a beautiful and modern estate.
- Lunch: Luxury picnic at Vergelegen.
- Afternoon: Visit Iona Winery.
- Evening: Relax at a coastal-facing 5-star luxury hotel in Hermanus.
Day 3: Hermanus and Elgin Wine Region
- Morning: Visit Almenkerk and Paul Cluver wineries in Hermanus.
- Lunch: Fresh restaurant at Paul Cluver.
- Afternoon: Whale-watching excursion or relaxation.
Day 4: Franschhoek and Paarl
- Morning: Explore Hermanus, including the harbor museum.
- Lunch: La Pentola in Hermanus.
- Afternoon: Transfer to Franschhoek and check into luxury accommodation.
Day 5: Paarl Wine Region
- Morning: Visit Painted Wolf Wines and Glen Carlou.
- Lunch: At Glen Carlou.
- Afternoon: Explore Franschhoek.
- Dinner: The Chefs Warehouse at Maison Estate.
Day 6: Franschhoek Valley
- Morning: Visit Chamonix and La Motte wineries.
- Lunch: La Motte’s restaurant.
- Afternoon: Free time in Franschhoek.
Day 7: Stellenbosch and Departure
- Morning: Tasting at DeMorgenzon and Jordan Winery.
- Lunch: Farewell lunch at Jordan Winery.
- Afternoon: Stroll around Stellenbosch.
- Evening: Transfer to Cape Town airport for departure.
Customized Tours
If you would like us to customize an exclusive luxury tour, contact us and let us know your travel plans. We offer luxury food and wine tours for private groups of a mininium two guests.
Wine Tasting Tips
- How much do tastings typically cost? Most tasting fees fall somewhere between R80 and R175.
- What kinds of wine can I taste? The Western Cape is particularly known for chenin blanc and pinotage. Lots of international grape varieties thrive here, too, though.
- Should I leave a tip when wine tasting? Yes, tipping is customary in South Africa. 10% is the minimum but consider leaving 12 - 15% for good service, which is usually what you get here!
Tour Options
There are several ways to experience the Cape Winelands:
- Group Wine Tours: These tours offer a structured itinerary with pre-selected wineries. While they may lack flexibility, they provide a social experience and eliminate the need for a designated driver.
- Private Wine Tours: For a more personalized experience, private tours allow you to customize your itinerary and visit wineries based on your preferences.
- Hop-On Hop-Off Services: Services like the Franschhoek Wine Tram and Stellenbosch Vine Hopper offer a flexible way to explore multiple wineries at your own pace.
- Self-Guided Tours: With the availability of Uber and other transportation options, you can create your own itinerary and visit wineries independently.
Wine Production Statistics
Here a table of wine production statistics in South Africa:
| Year | Production (Million Liters) | Export (Million Liters) |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 950 | 420 |
| 2019 | 980 | 430 |
| 2020 | 1000 | 450 |
| 2021 | 970 | 440 |
| 2022 | 990 | 460 |
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