Biking and wining

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Wine tasting, picnics and bike riding in glorious countryside. What could be better?

Picture it – you’re cycling through winelands, with the 2^nd last of 4 estate visits behind you. It’s starting to feel like Tuscany out here. Except it’s not. You’re in the winelands around Stellenbosch, an hour from Cape Town.

Cycling through lovely countryside and criss-crossing little rivers between vineyards

Bikes ‘n Wines was started by 3 friends who used to study at the University of Cape Town. All adventurous, all bike-lovers, all (like most students) wine-lovers, they decided to combine these 2 loves.

One of the great perks is that the tours are not only carbon neutral, but are actually carbon negative because when you’re not travelling on a bike, you’re taking public transport.

In addition, a small amount of your fee goes towards Greenpop, which supplies fruit and shade trees to crèches, schools and community centres in ‘under-greened’ areas. Every 10 riders means another tree can be planted.

Bikes ‘n Wines offers a number of options, from family tours, to vineyard meanders to hectic 2-day trips for fit mountain bikers. The prices range from affordable to ‘platinum’.

And if you’re worried that you’ll be weaving more than biking after tasting, riding drives the alcohol out of your body fairly speedily. Plus, you don’t drink all that much.

However, that shouldn’t stop you from ordering a couple of crates to be delivered to your home, if a merlot, pinotage, or chardonnay takes your fancy...

Cycling towards one of the wine estates, Skilpadvlei

Category: Responsible Tourism