For the not so informed various estates offer introductory talks, tours and guided tasting sessions to help you enter the extraordinary world of viniculture. Located within the Winelands are the historic and beautiful towns of Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschoek. The changing colour palette of vineyards during the various seasons combined with mountainous backdrops makes for beautiful scenery.

Virtually all of our tours that include Cape Town also includes a day-tour to the Cape Winelands, however where this is not the case Africa Deluxe Tours will gladly arrange for such an excursion if required. Another option is to spend a couple of days in the Winelands before or after visiting Cape Town.

Wine-tasting and tours
Many of the various wine estates falling within the Cape Winelands have visitor's centres that offer tours and tastings. Some offer very informative cellar tours where you are taken on walking tours through the estate's cellars and the wine making process is explained to you along the way.

All offer wine tasting. For a small fee you will receive a wine tasting glass and will join a small group of other visitors in a tasting venue (lecture type setup or more relaxed environs). A wine connoisseur will introduce you to various wines produced at the estate. Introductions include aroma (nose), body and palate (taste). You then get to taste each wine after its introduction trying to pick up the different elements explained to you.

If you have gone through the wine-making introduction at another estate or are knowledgeable on the subject you can skip the "guided" tasting and sample an estate's wines at your own leisure in a different venue. You will be able to purchase those wines that you like. Often estates will arrange for wines to be couriered to your place of residence if required.

For wine connoisseurs Africa Deluxe Tours can arrange for a specialist tourist guide to cater to your specific interests. Our specialist know the winemakers behind the various wines and can tailor-make excursions to fit your wine preferences.

Staying over
While the towns in the Winelands (see below) all offer good accommodation you could also choose to spend a day or two at a particular estate. Some of the wine estates in the Winelands offer exclusive five star country hotels while others offer slightly more affordable accommodation. Once again Africa Deluxe Tours will gladly arrange this for our clients.

Paarl
Paarl is the Afrikaans / old Dutch word for Pearl. Paarl gets its name from a huge dome shaped rock at the top of Paarlberg (Pearl Mountain), which looms large over the small town.

The quaint town is known for its Cape-Dutch architecture and is home to KWV and various top wine estates - either within the borders of the town or in the region surrounding the town.

Other attractions include the Afrikaans Language Monument and Museum as well as some of the most exclusive restaurants in South Africa. Paarl offers a range of accommodation in various budget classes including very good five star options.

Franschoek
The town's name, Franschoek, is old Afrikaans / Dutch for "French Corner". It was established by the French Huguenots after their arrival in the then Dutch Cape Colony in the 1680's. The Huguenots were French protestants who fled to South Africa from religious prosecution when the Edict of Nantes was recalled in France in the 17th century. They made a huge contribution to the establishment of the Cape wineries among other things.

The Town is located in a beautiful valley and surrounded by vineyards. It offers excellent restaurants and accommodation. Other attractions include the French Huguenot Monument & Museum, tea gardens and coffee shops, cooking courses, scenic passes and mountain biking.

Stellenbosch
Stellenbosch is the undisputed heart of the Winelands. It is also a lively student town with the University of Stellenbosch influencing just about everything in town. Stellenbosch’s main attraction lies in the beauty of its preserved architecture and the tree lined streetscape.

The best way to explore the town is on foot as most of the architectural beauties are within easy walking distance of each other. You can do this using a tourist guide or a useful brochure-map titled “On foot through historic Stellenbosch”, available from the very professional and helpful Stellenbosch Tourism Information Office.

Some of the attractions in Stellenbosch are the VOC Kruithuis (powder magazine), the Rhenish Church, the highly recommended Village Museum (consisting of Schreuderhuis, Blettermanhuis, Grosvenor House and OM Bergh House), Oom Samie se Winkel ("Uncle Samie's Shop" featuring old-worldish delights), Krige’s Cottages and Libertas Parva (a gallery with contemporary South African Art as well as a modest wine museum).

Cape Town Wine Estates
If you have time to head of to the Winelands we strongly recommend that you do so. However, if your time is limited you could opt for one or both of two historic wine estates located within the city borders of greater Cape Town. The Groot & Klein Constantia and Steenberg Estates are well worth a visit and within easy reach of Cape Town proper. Steenberg also features a hotel.

(Also see: South African wines; South African wine routes)