Big five winetour South Africa

A trip through heaven

Ever since I have immerged myself in the wine world, South Africa has always been on top of my list. A country with such diverse nature, a rich history and of course… a long list of beautiful wines to taste!

My long held dream came true when I travelled to South-Africa with Premium Wine Travels.

Constantia

On the first day of the trip we are collected in the morning to travel to the oldest wine region in South Africa named Constantia. Constantia was founded in 1685 by the Dutch Simon Van Der Stel and has been famous for its sweet wines made from the Muscat de Frontignan grape. Nowadays the estates located on the foothills of the Table mountain produce amazing (dry) wines from varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Semillon, Merlot, Shiraz and of course Pinotage.

Our first tasting is at Steenburg Vineyard  famous for their sparkling wines. The tasting is outside on the beautiful terrace with stunning view. We taste 5 of their flagship wines. My favourite is for sure the Cap Classique. The South African name for the traditional wine making method.

Next up we visit the oldest vineyard in South Africa established in 1685 Groot Constantia.  We visit the Manor House Museum and do a cellar tour before indulging in a chocolate and wine pairing. 5 wines are paired with 5 handcrafted chocolates. If I didn’t love the trip so far, this might be the moment I fell in love!

After a tapas style lunch at the Beau Constantia vineyard situated on the crest of the Constantia Mountain, we move on to the Constantia Glen Vineyard. The Flagship tasting is accompanied by a cheese and charcuterie platter, yum!

The first day was full of many impressions and I am happy we get to relax at our accommodation. The Lanzerac Vineyard Hotel in Stellenbosch has over 326 years of history and is styled completely in the Cape Dutch Architecture of 1692. Needless to say that when my head touched the pillow I was immediately gone!

Stellenbosch

In the morning there is time to explore Stellenbosch, the second oldest town in South Africa established in 1679. The town is located only 45 minutes from Cape town and is very compact, it is easily discovered by foot. The city is full of art galleries, shops and museums.

The next vineyard is the Kanonkop Vineyard, arguably one of South Africa’s premier Red Wine producing Estates. It’s time to taste South Africa’s very own Pinotage varietal among other great wines. Pinotage is a crossing of Pinot noir and Cinsault and is known to be an excellent barbecue companion. The varietal was invented by professor Perold in 1925 and went by the name of Hermitage for quite a while!

Highlight of the second day must be the visit to the Starke Conde Vineyard. Their tasting room is situated on a lake with 360’ views of the Jonkershoek Mountains. Absolutely stunning! We taste their premier wines which are all single vineyard wines made from organically farmed grapes. The Cabernet Sauvignon is my favourite due to the richness, complexity and long finish. I understand why it’s their signature varietal!

After lunch at the Delaire Graf Vineyard we visit the Oldenburg  Vineyard. Views are stunning. The estate faces the mountain and the vineyards. We taste the best wines of their range. The wines stand out because of their elegance and are very terroir driven. The winemaker in fact says he want to let the terroir do the talking. That’s why he chooses not to blend the varieties but make wines of a single “cultivar” (South-African word for varietal).

Our accommodation that evening is at Leeu Estates in Franschhoek. It lays between mountains and a river and the estate has a spa and outdoor pool. We walked quite a bit that day so I gratefully indulge in all the luxury the hotel has to offer.

Franschhoek

First up is the Anthonij Rupert vineyard situated on the foothills of the Groot Drakenstein Mountains. Anthonij Rupert started this winery in Franschoek and called it L’Ormarins. After his passing in 2001 his brother Johann Rupert took over in 2003 and named the estate Anthonij Rupert Wyne in the memory of his brother. We taste some exceptional wines, including their range of bubbles.

We move to the Mullineux and Leeu Vineyard, voted top winery in South Africa two years in a row. We taste their delicious Chardonnay and Pinotage.

For lunch that day we go to Petit Ferme Vineyard, situated high up on the slopes of the Franschhoek mountains with beautiful views of the Franschhoek valley. The food is delicious and the views are indeed very beautiful.

With a full belly we visited the town of Franschhoek, there is plenty of time to take pictures and visit some great shops. We end with a journey over the Franschhoek mountain pass before heading to our next stop: Hermanus. Here we stay at the Marine Hotel where we relax by the pool and enjoy the magnificent service and surroundings.

Heaven and Earth Wine Region

On the last day we explore the well-known “Heaven and Earth” wine valley. This region is famous for its exceptional Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines, as well as for elegant reds and zesty whites.

First up is the Bouchard Finlayson Vineyard. A place where you get views of the ocean from the tasting room. We taste a great selection of wines. The winery is a family owned boutique winery inspired by genuine passion. We taste some of their best wines alongside an abundant cheese and charcuterie platter.

Newton Johnsson is next on our program, a winery further up the valley with the same stunning views of the ocean. Here they are the masters of Pinot noir. We get to taste some great examples. The granite soils provide beautiful perfumed and elegant wines.

Lunch today takes place at the Creation vineyard. We do a food and wine pairing with the Tapas menu. Every dish is a surprise and the wines match greatly. Beautiful is the story about the sustainability that is strived for in this winery.

We return towards Cape Town through the famous Clarence Ocean drive which hugs the coastline and offers spectacular views that I will never forget.