South African wine is among the world's best with tours offered to some of the loveliest wine estates in the world. Cape wines are reaching more and more consumers in various countries, despite the global recession. Internationally, the wine industry in South Africa is small – accounting for about 3% of the world's wine. “South African wine exports have broken records and were soaring in defiance of the international economic slowdown. Over 363 million liters were sold off-shore during the 12 months to July 2008. These robust sales are also an indication of South Africa's capacity to offer original, expressive and interesting wines of good value." Wines of South Africa (WOSA) CEO Su Birch September 02, 2008.
Wine Routes Near Capetown
A few of the wine routes, for example Constantia, Durbanville, Darling, Stellenbosch, Helderberg, Paarl, Franschhoek, Wellington and Walker Bay, are within an hour or less easy driving distance from Cape Town. Others, like Breedekloof, Worcester, Robertson, the Little Karoo, Tulbagh, the Swartland, Olifants River and the Northern Cape take tourists on a longer but spectacular journey through beautiful landscapes. An example of three excellent wine estates are as follows:
- Spier Wine Estate - This historic estate is found in the town of Stellenbosch and is one of the region's best known wine estates, offering excellent hotel and spa facilites and wine tasting tours.
- Nederburg Wine Estate - Found 60 kilometers North-East of Cape Town in the historic wine district of Paarl, Nederburg is a producer of International Award winning wines. The estate offers tours and tasting of specialist wines as well as blends and sparkling wines all year round, by appointment, except on certain public holidays.
- Groot Constantia Estate - Established in 1684, Groot Constantia is the oldest wine estate in South Africa. The estate is famous for its production of high quality red wines such as their well known Shiraz and Merlot wines.
Cape Dutch Architecture
The Cape is famous for its historic wine farms where one can find excellent and well-preserved examples of the Cape Dutch architecture. The earliest dwellings were simple single-storied dwellings, consisting of a few functional rooms and built of local materials, such as thatch and crushed sea shells for a component of the lime-mortar. By the beginning of the 18th century the houses began to expand and the ornate front gable for which this form of architecture is famous down to this day, began to make its appearance, in a variety of styles and decorations. As time went on and folk became more prosperous, the houses grew in size and included outbuildings, slaves' quarters, stables etc. A tour of one of these old Cape Dutch Homes can provide a fascinating glimpse into the past.
Tourist Attractions in the Western Cape
The wine lands tours offer more than just wine tours and tasting. The region is also famous for its beautiful coastline which offers some of the best land based whale watching in the world between June and November of each year. White Sharks attract tourists and marine biologists alike and are found in large numbers around the seal colonies off the Cape coast around Hermanus and Gansbaai.
There are also ostrich farms, cheese farms as well as unusual, interesting and arty shops and markets. The infrastructure in the Western Cape is well-developed and well maintained. There are world class hotels, guest houses, lodges, restaurants, spas and golf courses with accommodation to suit all pockets. The various wine routes offer a wide variety of activities, from horseback trails to mountain biking and hiking. Pristine beaches, indigenous flora and fauna, spring flowers and abundant bird life are also among the natural attractions.
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