Links to Wineries Sampled on This Tour
Of wine tours, and the many options to choose from, the experience that holds greatest appeal for me is a tour embracing a selection of wine estates in different appellations that are unique in cellar design and special in terms of either their historical past or scenic location.
Each of these estates will have achieved an established and consistent record for excellence in regard to a particular style or special blend that exhibits the essence of superiority relative to a specific grape variety or a combination unique to the terroir for that particular area.
This then is the ‘signature’ wine to go for in the tasting room free of sideline interference from offerings of lesser stature within the mix of estate wines available.
Such an approach to the tasting occasion ensures ones sense of appreciation for fine wine is not dulled in any way by overindulgence as one meanders along or a plethora of inferior wines available at the time of each tasting.
As such the tasting experience along with a similar approach applied in turn to other wineries visited as part of a well planned tour remains focused and clear bringing out the ‘best of the best’ in what can only be described as the definitive tour for the ardent Cape wine aficionado…
My choice of wineries in no particular order of preference is as follows:
- Groot Constantia Estate - Constantia Valley www.grootconstantia.co.za
- Klein Constantia Estate – Constantia Valley www.kleinconstantia.com
- Buitenverwachting – Constantia Valley www.buitenverwachting.com
- Durbanville Hills – Durbanville www.durbanvillehills.co.za
- Black Pearl Vineyards – Paarl www.blackpearlvineyards.com
- Fairview Wine & Cheese Estate – Paarl www.fairview.co.za
- Warwick Estate – Simonsberg-Stellenbosch – www.warwickwine.com
- Kanonkop Estate – Simonsberg-Stellenbosch – www.kanonkop.co.za
- Tokara – Stellenbosch www.tokara.com
- Thelema Mountain Vineyards – Stellenbosch www.thelema.co.za
- Plaisir de Merle – Simonsberg-Paarl www.plaisirdemerle.co.za
- Cabriere – Franschoek www.cabriere.co.za
- Neethlingshof Estate – Stellenbosch www.neethlingshof.co.za
- Waterford Estate – Stellenbosch www.waterfordestate.co.za
- Rust en Vrede Estate – Stellenbosch www.rustenvrede.com
- Vergelegen Estate – Stellenbosch www.vergelegen.co.za
- Lourensford – Stellenbosch www.lourensford.com