STELLENBOSCH, FRANSCHHOEK AND PAARL WINETASTING TOUR FROM CAPETOWN

Full-day private wine tour to Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl wine regions from Cape Town

Sample some of South Africa’s best-known wines in the lands where they’re grown during a private tour of Paarl, Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. From Cape Town you’ll head for the Cape Winelands region to visit four different wineries. During each stop, learn about how the combination of climate, soil and grape varietals create the unique wines for which South Africa is known throughout the world. Taste wines, fortified wines, cheese and chocolate on this decadent private tour.

Highlights:

• Full-day private wine tour to Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl wine regions from Cape Town
• Travel with a private guide, passionate about the New World wines of South Africa
• Tour four prestigious wine estates including Fairview and Boschendal
• Sample fortified wine, chocolate, cheese and, of course, South African wine varieties like Pintotage
• Transport by spacious, air-conditioned minivan

What You Can Expect

Begin your day with pickup at your Cape Town hotel in a luxury minivan and head straight for the famous Stellenbosch wine region. The climate is akin to the Mediterranean, a longtime wine-growing region. The first stop on your tour is the Muratie wine estate, a local favorite with lots of rustic charm, where you’ll start with something sweet. At Muratie, sample dessert wine and locally-made chocolate. Next, head for the nearby Paarl wine region to visit the Fairview Wine Estate for a cellar tour and wine tasting session. Along with the winery’s well-known white wines, nibble on delicious cheeses.

Stop for lunch in Franschhoek, a short five miles (eight kilometers) away, internationally famous for its gourmet dining options. Get recommendations from your private guide for where to get something to eat (own expense) from the many restaurants and cafes in the pretty town. After your lunch break, visit the Haute Cabriere or Dieu Donne wine estate outside Franschhoek in the Helderberg Mountains. Take in the splendid views from the winery while you taste their wines and learn how growing wine grapes in the mountains differs from growing them down in the valley. The final winery visit of the day is at Boschendal, one of the oldest wine estates in the country, dating back to the 1600s. From the outside, the winery may look traditional and old-fashioned, but when you see the cellars you’ll notice they are state-of-the-art. Enjoy your tour’s last wine tasting among the barrels in the cellar before getting back in the minivan for the relaxing drive back to Cape Town. Arrive in the early evening.