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Uncover distinct South African flavours
Seasonal food and wine tours in South Africa
Visiting wine cellars in the Cape winelands
© South African Tourism
Food and wine tours in South Africa can be undertaken all year round - although certain seasons are best for certain types of wine and culinary tours and routes.
Take the Constantia wine route near Cape Town with its 11 vineyards. Here you can experience South Africa’s award winning wines, scenic settings and superb restaurants. The Constantia Valley is especially lovely during spring and summer, with the vineyards also spectacular in South Africa’s autumn months. Visit between January and April to participate in harvest activities.
For those with an afternoon to spare, tour Franschhoek wine estate Solms-Delta’s Veldfood Garden and learn about the endangered edible plants once gathered and consumed by the Khoi and the Xhosa.
Along the Swartland Wine and Olive Route, which covers the Western Cape’s largest wine-producing areas, you’ll discover quaint yet trendy villages surrounded by expansive fields of wheat and canola, dairy pastures, vineyards and olive groves. Activities to be enjoyed are wine tasting, golf, 4x4 trails, hiking, mountain biking and fishing. Spring, from late October to mid-November, sees a patchwork of yellow canola fields and green vineyards, with indigenous flora in full bloom.
There is a range of eco-epicurean tours in South Africa that allow you to eat, drink, and travel without having a negative impact on the environment.
In KwaZulu-Natal, get introduced to the healing and culinary uses of Zulu indigenous plants followed by a traditional Zulu lunch.
In spring time in Namaqualand you can sample edible bulbs and roots with the local Nama people and enjoy edible flower cooking classes. Edible wild flower tours are best during August and September when the flowers are in full bloom.
Along the Green Mountain Eco Route, the world’s first biodiversity wine route, you can explore home-grown country cuisine, and eat and drink your way through the Cape Floral Kingdom on a 4-day gourmet slack-pack hike. The vineyards, magnificent gardens and flower farms in the area blossom from October to December. Harvest time occurs between January and early April, and September to October is when Elgin residents open their magnificent gardens to the public.
Travel tips & Planning info
Who to contact
Tel: +27 (0)21 794 0542
Email: jooles@constantiavalley.com
Tel:+27 (0)22 487 1133
Fax +27 (0)22 487 2063
Email swartlandinfo@westc.co.za
Malmesbury Tourism
Tel: +27 (0)22 487 1133
Fax: +27 (0)22 487 2063
Email: swartlandtourism@westc.co.za
Phone: +27 (0)23 6263167
Fax: + 27 (0)23 6261054
Email: manager@robertsonwinevalley.com
Kuhestan Organic Farm
Contact: Shahrzad Hone
Tel: +27 (0)83 903 7593
Email: info@kuhuestan.co.za
Green Mountain Eco Route
Tel: +27 (0)21 844 0605
A/H: +27 (0)82 320 2060
Email: info@greenmountain.co.za