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Explore, feast and play among the vines
South African wine
Paraglidinging over the Franschhoek winelands
© Craig Marshall/Para-pax
Did you know?
The Pinotage grape, a cross between a Pinot Noir and Cinsaut (Hermitage), is uniquely South African.
Since the end of apartheid, South Africa has steadily been welcomed back onto the world stage as a major new-world wine producer. Our wines, through their history, heritage and world-beating quality, have so impressed and intrigued international wine buffs, chefs, merchants and regular wine-drinking folk, that eventually it simply wasn’t enough for them to trot down to the bottle store and buy another case.
Do South African wines really make travellers up sticks and trek to the far southern tip of the African continent? You bet they do! So does our sunshine, our scenery, our warm-hearted people, our fantastic outdoors lifestyle that revolves around family, friends, good food, good wines too (of course), sport and having fun outdoors at any given opportunity.
In this section, you’ll find some of the fantastic attractions and activities to try when you visit our winelands. Among the world’s wine capitals, our winelands are a gastronomic destination of note.
Visit our best winelands cheese venues, try some unusual food and wine pairings, and take your winelands trip to the next level with harvest festivals, a Pinotage wine bath, and all kinds of adventure sports.
Across the Western Cape, there are 14 wine routes, with all manner of exciting sub routes to explore. Tour the world’s first brandy routes in the Boland and the Klein Karoo; in Elgin, the Green Mountain Eco Route is the world’s first biodiversity wine route; and Route 62 Wine Route - the world’s longest wine route - has around 70 wine stops for you to explore.
Travel tips & Planning info
Who to contact
The official wine route office
or the local tourism office
can assist with any wine
route enquiries for a
particular region.
Alternatively,
contact Cape Town
Routes Unlimited
T: +27 (0)21 426 5639/47
F: +27 (0)21 426 5640
Tours to do
All of South Africa's wine routes can be independantly visited, at your own pace. Alternately, there are numerous winelands based tour operators.
Where to stay
Choose from thrifty backpacker’s lodges to lavish 5-star establishments that rank among the best in the world.
What to eat
Eat local. From traditional Cape and Cape Malay cuisine to home-grown, home-made cheeses, fresh and dried fruit, olives, breads, hand-crafted chocolates, charcuterie, and more.
What's happening
Events take place throughout the winelands, all year round. Check out provincial and local tourism authorities’ websites for the latest listings.
Best buys
South African wine compares with the best in the world, for price and innovation. The country is a world leader in wine biodiversity and sustainability, and our wines frequently wine international competitions.