Gourmet Cape & Winelands Experience

Cape Town

You will be collected by your tour guide at Cape Town International Airport, and driven to your accommodation where you will check in and spend the day at leisure.

Surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the town is contained in a bowl created by Table Mountain, Devil’s Peak, Lion’s Head, Signal Hill and Table Bay. It is therefore no wonder that it is considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

In 1652 Cape Town was founded by the Dutch East India Company as a refreshment station for its ships on the way to the riches of the east. The Castle and the Company Gardens go back to these humble beginnings. A visit of the city centre with its many historical buildings and different architecture as well as a trip with the cable car to the top of Table Mountain are highly commended.

The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront is considered one of the main attractions. Here you will find numerous bars, restaurants, boutiques and shops, cinemas and the aquarium. Outside in the amphitheatre there is regular live entertainment. All combined with the continuous activity of a working harbour.

Overnight and breakfast at La Grenadine Petit Hotel

Travel distance: 20 km

Cape Town ocean view

Cape Town painted houses

View of Cape Town

Cape Town

Breakfast at La Grenadine Petit Hotel. After that guests are collected by our tour guide for the Constantia Wine Route, which includes the wine estates: Constantia Uitsig, Steenberg and Groot Constantia.

The Cape Winelands consists of several wine growing regions producing a large variety of wines, using various methods of viticulture. These regions include Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl. The Wine Route was developed in the early 1970’s and allows visitors entrance into selected Private Estates to taste wines and visit cellars.

Constantia Uitsig, known until 1940 as Constantia View, was the home of the Lategan family for five generations. Their ancestors arrived in this country in 1735. Just 20 minutes from the heart of the city, Constantia Uitsig is truly Cape Town’s own Vineyard. The breathtaking rural beauty of a valley, where vineyard rows stretch up the mountainside, is unique in today’s overcrowded world.

Steenberg holds the distinction of being the oldest farm in the picturesque Constantia Valley, which is generally considered to be South Africa’s premier wine growing region. With its cool, sea-facing slopes and majestic granite ridges, this vineyard has developed a worldwide reputation for producing excellent Cape wines. The estate boasts a state of the art modern winery, producing some of the country’s finest award winning wines.

Groot Constantia Wine Estate, established in 1685 by Governor Simon Van der Stel, is the oldest wine farm in South Africa. The manor house is a fine example of Cape Dutch architecture and is open to visitors. The Estat, well positioned on the lower slopes of Table Mountain with the perfect blend of sun, wind, ocean and fertile soil, has been producing some of the world’s most famous sweet wine blends for the last three centuries, and a variety of award winning red and white wines.

• Included: Constantia Wine Route: Steenberg (3 wines) & Groot Constantia with Cellar Tour, Constantia Uitsig with wine tasting(3 wines) & cheese/charcuterie platter to be shared

Overnight and breakfast at La Grenadine Petit Hotel

Cape Town

Breakfast at La Grenadine Petit Hotel. After that Guests are collected by our tour guide for the Hemel-en-Aarde Wine Route in Hermanus, which includes the wine estates Creation Wines and La Vierge.

The Hemel-en-Aarde valley starts just outside Hermanus. The relatively cool climate together with the soil creates an ideal climate for wine growing.

The story of Creation Wines is as old as the hills – dating back to when Mother Nature created South Africa’s beautiful Hemel-en-Aarde and bestowed upon it exceptional wine growing conditions.

At the same time, the story is as young as the vibrant team who since 2002 has been investing their talents to create a wine range of great distinction.

La Vierge, French for ‘The Virgin’, is nestled in the folds of the breathtaking Hemel-en-Aarde Valley (Heaven and Earth) close to Hermanus. The lovingly tended vineyards, situated in Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, are characterized by long cool summers influenced by the close proximity of the Atlantic Ocean.

• Included: Hemel-en-Aarde Wine Route: Creation Wines (create your own blend) & La Vierge (formal wine tasting)

Overnight and breakfast at La Grenadine Petit Hotel

Cape Town

Breakfast at La Grenadine Petit Hotel. After that Guests are collected by our tour guide for the Durbanville Wine Route, which includes the wine estates Meerendal and Durbanville Hills:

The legend of Meerendal’s vineyards and wines began in 1702 in a vast and fertile landscape on the slopes of the Tygerberg Hills, only 20 minutes to drive outside from Cape Town. More than 300 years later the mystery lives on through families and friends, who visit its grounds and join in the spirit of relaxed lunches, superb dining and celebratory events with a glass of delicious wine in the hand.

Cellar master Liza Goodwin coaxes award winning wines from hand tended vineyards. These noble varieties include Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinotage, Shiraz, Merlot and Pinot Noir.

The unique location of Durbanville Hills’ cellar a mere 20 minutes from Cape Town’s city centre, offers not only a spectacular view of Table Mountain and Table Bay, but also an extraordinary terroir that stabilises temperatures and eliminates extremes of heat and cold. Although the Durbanville area is renowned for its Sauvignon Blanc that excels under the cool conditions where it is grown mostly on the cool south facing slopes, the range of red wines also benefit from the warmer valley outskirts and opposing northern slopes.

• Included: Durbanville Wine Route: Meerendal (formal & tutored wine tasting) & Durbanville Hills (wine & chocolate or wine & biltong pairing)

Overnight and breakfast at La Grenadine Petit Hotel

Cape Town to Tulbagh

Breakfast at La Grenadine Petit Hotel. The tour guide will drive the group to Tulbagh. On the way to Tulbagh they do stop at Riebeek Kasteel and Het Vlock Casteel: Het Vlock Casteel:

When in Riebeek Kasteel, you have to visit the home of award winning wines and olives at Het Vlock Casteel and take part in wine tasting, olive oil tasting and fruit tours. Other produce available are award winning olives, olive oil, chutneys, delicious fruity jams, preserves, chocolates and shiraz wine vinegar. Peaches, grapes and citrus fruits are for sale during the season. Het Vlock Casteel (Môrester) lies at the foot of Kasteelbergand is very much a family owned and run experience. This is clearly apparent when you book a tasting or tour on the farm. The family is passionate about their products and have a strong philosophy of interacting directly with visitors and making them feel most welcome. Wine tasting & olive oil glass tasting. Sample Het Vlock Casteel exquisite produce – award winning olives, olive oil, jams, chutneys, preserves, salad dressings, Shiraz wine vinegar, etc. Peaches, grapes & citrus for sale during season. Môrester tours throughout the year.

The centre of Tulbagh was destroyed in an earthquake in 1969. Under the guidance of historians, many of the buildings have been restored. Today, Church Street displays a unique ensemble of Cape Dutch houses. Tulbagh is situated in a valley, sheltered by the Winterhoek Mountains which are over 2000 metres high and is somewhat off the beaten track.

Travel distance: 121.8 km

• Included: Riebeek Kasteel (History Tour) & Het Vlock Casteel (Wine & Olive tasting)

Overnight and breakfast at Tulbagh Hotel

Tulbagh

Breakfast at Tulbagh Hotel. After that Guests are collected by our tour guide to visit the Tulbagh wine estates Waverley Hills and Montpellier and the Wine Museum De Oude Drostdy in Tulbagh:

Waverley Hills Estate is situated between Tulbagh and Ceres, South Africa, at the foothills of the breathtaking Witzenberg Mountain Range. The fertile Oakleaf yellow clay terrain is impregnated with river stones, resulting in well-drained soils with excellent water holding capacity. All the vineyards are irrigated with pure mountain spring water and are located on a natural watershed area where both the Breede and Berg rivers originate. The area is renowned for its diverse fynbos (indigenous flora), giving the wines a unique herbaceous characteristic.

Montpellier provides a romantic setting for a country getaway, with a charming hillside chapel, picturesque wedding venue and old Cape style guest house. Founded in 1714, this historical Boland Farm is embraced by “the mountains of fear” (Montténére), which in 1969 flexed their muscles with an awesome earthquake. Montpellier offers variety of temptations for the palate and senses, in true Tulbagh style.

De Oude Drostdy Museum in Tulbagh is a ‘must visit’ which offers visitors a window into the past, while enjoying the very present occupation of sipping wine by candlelight, in what was once the underground slave quarters of this building. The museum, built in 1804, is a typical Cape Dutch style home, originally the magistrate’s residence, which now houses a collection of early Cape furniture, household articles and an unusual collection of gramophones. The building was designed by Cape architect, Louis Michel Thibault, and is now a national monument.

• Included: Tulbagh Wine Estates: Waverley (walking trail & wine tasting), Montpellier & De Oude Drostdy Museum (wine tasting in former prison)

Overnight and breakfast at Tulbagh Hotel

Tulbagh-view-from-the-street

Tulbagh-vines-field

Tulbagh-view-of-the-waterfall

Tulbagh to Paarl

Breakfast at the Tulbagh Hotel. After that Guests are collected by our tour guide to drive to Paarl for a history tour through this beautiful village:

Paarl is one of the oldest towns in South Africa.

The town derives its name from huge granite boulders that shimmer in the sunlight like pearls, after a shower of rain. It has a unique character, not at least because vineyards still grow in between residential neighbourhoods maintaining a country feel to a town virtually the size of a small city, but also because it is here that the struggle to gain recognition for Afrikaans as a written language was achieved. Today the Afrikaans Language Museum bears testament to this accomplishment and there is a monument to this unique language on the slopes of Paarl Mountain. The main street is a colourful collection of beautifully restored Cape Dutch, Georgian and Victorian buildings and includes the oldest Dutch Reformed Church in the country – the Strooidak Church – and the Paarl Museum, housed in a u-shaped Cape Dutch house and home to an in-depth look at the town’s history, starting with early man and dealing with European colonization and slavery.

Travel distance: 63.3 km

• Included: Paarl history tour

Overnight and breakfast at Cascade Country Manor

Paarl

Breakfast at the Hotel. After that, Guests are collected by our tour guide for the Paarl Wine Route, which includes the wine estates Rhebokskloof, Fairview and Backsberg:

Rhebokskloof Wine Estate, situated in the magnificent Paarl valley, is nestled between the granite hills of the Paarl Rock Mountains, creating a unique micro-climate. The picturesque Estate boasts award-winning wines, a restaurant and is the perfect location for weddings, and events.

As far back as 1699, documents show the first harvest of wines at the slopes of Fairview Wine & Cheese Farm of the Paarl Mountain. The goat’s tower is an icon on this farm, producing cheese next to wines. The attractive tasting rooms offer cow and goat’s milk cheeses and a wide range of white and red wines. They represent various areas and terroirs in the wine lands. The restaurant Goatshed specializes in Mediterranean cuisine with local produces, whilst the own bakery produces an array of tasty breads.

This wine estate Backsberg stretches from sandy flat land up to the clay of the Simonsberg slopes. The various ranges offer different varietals and styles of white and red wines. Visitors can enjoy a conducted tasting in the barrel cellar, including their own Potstill brandy. A cellar tour informs about the various stations in the wine making process. The restaurant serves traditional home-styled meals in the garden or inside next to a roaring fire. Backsberg is constantly aiming towards sustainable farming and has received various awards for their efforts.

• Included: Paarl Wine Route: Rhebokskloof (formal wine tasting), Fairview (wine & cheese tasting) & Backsberg with Braai

Overnight and breakfast at Cascade Country Manor

Paarl view from above

Paarl Nature Reserve

Paarl Rock view

Paarl to Stellenbosch

Guests are collected by our tour guide to experience a Big 5 Vineyard Safari at the Warwick Estate(only in summer) followed by a Herb Garden tour at Babylon’s Toren :

Visitors from around the world keep coming back for the wildly popular ‘Big 5 Vineyard Safari’ at the Warwick Estate. This fun educational Land Rover Safari takes you on a mountain journey through Warwick’s vineyards where we compare the ‘Big 5’ animals with our ‘Big 5’ grape varieties. The Vineyard Safari is perfect for all ages.

Stellenbosch is without doubt one of the most beautiful and well-kept towns in the country. Many original Cape Dutch buildings are situated in Dorp Street and its neighboring streets in the vibrant old town. The Stellenbosch Village Museum, a museum complex of historical houses and furnished with period furniture depicts the life style of the inhabitants of this town from the 16th to the 18th century. Stellenbosch is surrounded by countless wineries and is the hub of the wine industry in the Western Cape.

Travel distance: 40.5 km

• Included: Warwick Estate (Big 5 Vineyard Safari) & Herbal Garden Tour at Babylon’s Toren

Overnight and breakfast at Oude Werf

Stellenbosch

Breakfast at Oude Werf Hotel. After that Guests are collected by our tour guide to do a cycling & wine tasting tour through the beautiful town Stellenbosch:

Learn about the history and culture of the “City of Oaks” from the experienced tour guides. One cannot visit Stellenbosch without trying its most famous export – wine, and you will visit 2 award winning wine farms along the way.

Stellenbosch, the second oldest town in South Africa, is one of the most beautiful and well maintained in the Cape. It is the second oldest town in South Africa, and is known as the ‘Eikestad’, famous for its oak trees that line most of the streets. This University town has classified many of its original Cape Dutch buildings as National Monuments.

Stellenbosch is surrounded by many top quality private wine estates and is the hub of the wine industry in the Western Cape.

• Included: Cycling & wine tasting tour through Stellenbosch

Overnight and breakfast at Oude Werf

Birds-eye view of Stellenbosch

Stellenbosch Wine Farms

Stellenbosch street view

Departure

Breakfast at Oude Werf followed by time at leisure to discover Stellenbosch on your own. Thereafter you will be transferred back to Cape Town Airport.

Travel distance: 29.6 km

We look forward to welcoming you back to Southern Africa!