Stellenbosch is a very famous wine-producing region in South Africa and has a long producing history and has some of the country’s best wine estates. The most widely planted grape variety is Cabernet Sauvignon and this is commonly blended with Merlot to create Bordeaux Blend wines.
Stellenbosch is South Africa’s second-oldest settlement, after Cape Town. Established on the banks of the Eerste River in 1679, it was named for the then Governor, Simon van der Stel (who is also notable for having established the wine estate of Constantia in Cape Town).
We took an organised tour of the Stellenbosch area covering 4 different wine estates and sampling in the order of 20 different wines, with a welcome lunch half way through to break up the drinking. The drive from Cape Town up to Stellenbosch area was about 45 minutes and soon we were in the midst of beautiful countryside backed by some stunning mountains. We also had the opportunity for a short drive through the small scenic town of Stellenbosch before returning to Cape Town.
It was a wonderful day trip with some excellent wines sampled and a lovely lunch at the Delheim Winery and some great scenery to appreciate.
To feel To feel secure while traveling or living abroad, I make sure to have health insurance. SafetyWing’s Essential plan gives me coverage for medical emergencies and travel mishaps, with options for adventure sports and electronics theft. If I want more comprehensive protection, their Complete plan covers routine medical care, mental health support, and maternity benefits—worldwide, including my home country—on top of everything in the Essential plan.
Fairview Winery
Based in the Paarl region of the Western Cape province in South Africa Fairview Winery produces a range of excellent wines and also a large range of cheeses. The tasting room was extremely well arranged with large round tables where we could sit and sample a range of the wines matched perfectly with a range of the cheeses.
Tokara Wine Estate
Tokara Wine Estate sits on the slopes of Simonsberg Mountain and comprises a vineyard and olive grove overlooking False Bay and Table Mountain. The focus is on two great grape varieties; Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc.
Delaire Graff Estate
Close to Toakara Estate we visited the Delaire Graff Estate which has 17 hectares of vineyards planted with Bordeaux reds and Chardonnay grapes. This beautiful estate has a restaurant, a spa and some fascinating art pieces in the main lobby.
Delheim Winery
The Delheim Winery is a family owned winery sitting on the slopes of Simonsberg Mountain close to Stellenbosch and produces a large range of award winning wines. The winery also has a restaurant and this is where we had some lunch to help soak up all the wine we had been tasting.
Passionate Photographer …. Lost in Asia
Stuart Taylor of HighlanderImages Photography has been making images for over 40 years focusing on Asia with a documentary/photojournalistic style.
Stuart is available for a variety of assignments in subject areas of photojournalism, commercial, architectural, real estate, industrial, interior design, corporate, urbex, adventure, wilderness, and travel.
E-Mail : staylor@highlanderimages.com