No trip to South Africa is complete without exploring the amazing vineyards of the Western Cape.
The Western Cape area was settled by French Huguenots, Dutch, and English that originally settled by the Cape of Good Hope. Grapes have been growing here since the 1600s.This region is the largest and most important wine growing region of the country. In addition, the steep and jagged mountains in the backdrop with the lush vineyards affords breathtaking landscapes. Here you see so much diversity in grape varietals and terrior where the grapes are grown in some of the world's most ancient soils offering a wide range of flavors and styles not found elsewhere.
My group of U.S. travelers love wine and couldn't wait to explore all that was South African wines. We boarded our bus and were off. Grapes of this area are mainly Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Colombard, Sauvignon Blanc, and Shiraz.
The Stellenbosch region, our first growing area to explore, is the oldest South African wine region in the country and lies in the Western Cape region known as the Cape Winelands. The area features deep soils with low acidity and garners rich and fruity wines.
Stellenbosch, a small university town in the heart of the Cape Winelands, is a great stop before heading out to the vineyards. This town, full of Cape Dutch architecture, could be any small upscale college town in the States with its many boutiques, pastry shops, and art galleries.
Our first stop after the town of Stellenbosch was Vredenheim Winery in the Cape Winelands wine region. Stop at this charming winery and sip Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Shiraz.
Don't miss a lunch of Bobotie, the national dish of South Africa made of ground beef with garlic, cumin, egg, dried herbs, turmeric, onion, and topped with a beaten egg that makes it crunchy on top. Bobotie originated in the Cape Malay (enslaved Muslims brought to So. Africa by Dutch colonizers) cuisine with its variety of spices. Bobotie is served with rice. Dessert was Melktert (milk tart) of Dutch origin—a creamy and smooth tart with a generous dusting of cinnamon. What a great lunch!
Our next stop of our wine tasting day was Blaauwklippen, a winery established in 1682. This is a most beautiful winery with a large and comfortable outdoor picnic seating area where we sampled the winery's varietals.
The name "Blaauwklippen" in Dutch means "blue stones" and comes from the color of granite on the property. In 1977, the first Zinfandel vines were planted in the Cape Winelands region. Blaauwklippen remains one of only three vineyards in the country producing Zinfandel.
Delight radiated from our faces as we tasted the wines. To our welcoming eyes, Pinotage, the national varietal of South Africa is on the list of wines to sample.
Pinotage is a viticulture cross by breeding two grapes within the same species—Cinsaut and Pinot Noir. Don't expect Pinotage to taste like Pinot Noir. It is more like Shiraz with its dry, full bodied taste and high tannins. In the glass, it is floral and earthy with flavors of dark and red fruit. It has a bit of a sweet and smoky finish. You can buy one or two brands at wine shops in the United States as well as some European countries, but most of the South African wineries are too small to export their wines out of the country.
The winery's interior is warm and elegant with dark oak beams and parquet floors, arched doorways, and large floral displays.
We were fortunate to find a liqueur at Blaauwklippen called the Royal Rhino, a brand of Amarula liqueur called the Spirit of Africa made from the distilled marula fruit. The bottle is shaped like a rhino horn. It pours with a lot of viscosity as we see when the creamy mocha liquid flows from the bottle. Amarula's nose entices with notes of ripe, tropical fruit. We think it tastes a lot like Bailey's liqueur.
On another day, we drove to the Paarl wine area to experience Rooiberg Winery and its Red Chair Bistro. The winery is quite large inside with a whimsical interior of bold black and white triangles on the walls as well as large floral wallpaper. There are sofas to rest your weary bones if needed. Outside, see the bigger-than-life sized red chair where I pose with my favorite glass of wine from this winery, Chenin Blanc.
Be sure to visit Fairview Winery with its famous goat tower and rich and creamy goat cheeses to indulge in while sipping paired wines. Look for the Biltong Bar, a case full of the dried beef jerky of the region. Again, this winery is very large inside with round split wine barrels and a wine and cheese bar for tastings. The service is impeccable. The wines are delicious. Be sure to spend some time outside with the goats climbing in and out of the goat tower. That tower was inspired by the owner's trip to Portugal where he saw a goat tower and knew his winery had to have one.
For the wine enthusiasts in the group, experience your South African wines following the 20 Rule. Reds should be put in the fridge 20 minutes before drinking them. Whites should be removed from the fridge 20 minutes before drinking them.
The wine regions of South Africa will charm and delight you as they did us. They will offer you the opportunity to try Pinotage and the often-rare Chenin Blanc as well as experiencing what the terrior of this area so richly displays.
Useful links
Western Cape Wineries