Exploring the Cape Town Wine Routes: Constantia Valley

Posted by Rachel in Cape Town on 06 18th, 2010 | Read Comments(1)

If you’ve been inspired to visit South Africa through seeing the country during the World Cup coverage, then there are plenty of wonderful places to visit.

Cape Town is famous for many things, including its wine routes. For anyone who enjoys a tipple or two of fine wines, and wants to see where the grapes that produce many South African wines originate, then the wine routes are a must-see.

There are numerous wine routes located around Cape Town – known as the Cape Winelands – and you can either pick and choose to visit one or two, or incorporate several of them into your trip. One of the routes that is definitely worth incorporating into a trip is the Constantia Valley wine route.

The Constantia Valley Wine Route

One of the oldest wine routes in South Africa, the Constantia wine route is located very close to Cape Town, only about 20 minutes from the city centre. The Constantia Valley has a moderate climate and very fertile soil, which has been cultivated since 1685. The first Governor of the Cape, Simon Van Der Stel is renowned for establishing a farm in this area and the award-winning wines produced here are still as sought after as they used to be.

Some of the main vineyards to visit include – Steenberg, Constantia Uitsig, Buiternverwachting, Klein Constantia and Groot Constantia.

The Steenberg Estate is the oldest farm and the very first wines were produced here in 1695. You can visit the vineyard, taste the wine, eat at Catharina’s restaurant or stay a night at the luxurious Country Hotel. For golfers, there’s even an 18-hole golf course here too, so you can indulge your passion of wine and golfing.

Constantia Uitsig means Constantia View and this estate has 40 hectares producing award-winning wines such as Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Chardonnay and Merlot. The wine shop is packed to the brim with wine and you can dine at the Constantia Uitsig Country Hotel.

Buitenverwachting aptly means Beyond Expectations and this is certainly likely to be the case for visitors. The estate produces multi award-winning wines and has a restaurant rates amongst the top 10 in South Africa.

Set in the upper foothills of Constantiaberg, the historic Klein Constantia estate has been owned by the same wine produced for four centuries. It specialises in wines such Sauvignon Blanc, Vin de Constance and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Finally, the Groot Constantia estate is a must-visit, as it was the farm established by Simon Van Der Stel. It now houses a museum depicting the early days of wine making, plus you can see the original Cloete Cellar, which dates back to 1791.