Visiting a vineyard is like a perfect day in the park – soaking up the sun, surrounded by greenery with some good food and great wine from the winery. Even if you’re not a wine enthusiast, hearing about the process of wine making and how each winery puts its own unique twist is interesting. I really enjoy drinking wine, so a trip to the wine country was a must do while we were in Cape Town.
One of the most popular towns in the wine country is Stellenbosch, and it is certainly the most convenient to get to from Cape Town. It is about an hour’s drive and has a cute ‘main street’ with nice restaurants and cafes. Franschhoek, which is about 45 minutes from Stellenbosch has a more rustic and authentic vibe. There is a wonderful ‘wine tram’ which allows people to hop on and off from various vineyards and wineries along 3-4 routes. It is a great way to explore Franschhoek if you’ve not rented a car or just don’t want to drive around. Paarl is the third big town in wine country, but it was a little out of the way for us. You can stay in this region for a couple days to relax and unwind.
We walked around Stellenbosch and had an al fresco lunch on a gorgeous day. There was a chill in the air, and the restaurant had put out tower heaters that helped a lot. We also drove to and around Franschhoek and took in the amazing sights. The mountains in the backdrop of the vineyards look so imposing, and the entire area is a green oasis. A visit to the wine country would be incomplete without a stop at a winery. We’d heard quite a bit about the Vergelen Wine Estate and decided to do a wine tasting and winery tour there. The Estate is beautiful and has been around since the 1700s. There is a small herb garden right in front of the restaurant where wine tastings are held. There are a variety of tastings offered – you can do all reds, whites or mixed. A sommelier gave a little introduction to each wine. There weren’t too many people the day we visited, so it was nice to have the place to ourselves.
There is also the Dutch House, which is an old building converted into a museum that pays homage to the history of the Estate, and a nice rose garden behind it. We loved milling around the beautiful trees and just taking in the fresh air.
We were then taken for the winery tour which was very disappointing. The person in charge of the tour seemed very disinterested and just went through the motions. We should’ve just spent more time in the gardens instead of going on that boring tour!
Barring that little mishap, our day in the wine country was time well spent. The beautiful atmosphere of the area is very soothing and offers a great chance to get away from the bustling Cape Town.
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