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Red wine plantings in this valley are booming and facilities and upgrading to handle the increase. This fruit and market driven celler is speeding forward and acknowledges the roles of UK buyers and consumers behind the wheel, guiding styles.
Enjoy a horseback ride, take a stroll or make your choice to visit over twenty wine farms. Or browse though an array of art shops, galleries and specialist stores that grace the village centre. To satisfy the more adventurous spirits, the valley provides the perfect setting for walking trails, hiking, cycling, horse-riding, fly fishing and golf. Paragliding offers the brave and free spirited a stunning bird's eye view of the area.
Information Centre, 28a Huguenot Road,
Franschhoek, 7690, Western Cape, South Africa
PO Box 178
Groot Constantia Estate is the oldest wine estate in South Africa, and it is here that the country's thriving wine industry has its roots. Since its origin in 1685, Groot Constantia has always been a wine farm and its name is forever linked to the most famous wines that were so highly prized by the European gentry in the 18th century.
Mother Nature smiled when she prepared the Constantia Valley for the winemaker. She bestowed on him the influence of the sun, wind, oceans and fertile soil, and then challenged him to plant vineyards and make excellent wines.
So little was produced and it was of such uncompromising quality that it was exclusively bought and consumed by the aristocracy of the world. Members of the British Royal House and many other dignitaries coveted the Constantia label and treated their guests to it.
In South Africa, the Kaapzicht Estate covers 174 hectares, with 146 hectares currently under vine. The vineyards stretch over predominantly north facing slopes with soil that is ideal for growing quality grapes.
At Kaapzicht, dramatic intensity and tours de force and poured into every bottle. Two of Danie Steytler's red blends won scarse silver medals at the SA Trophy Wine Show and now there's stronger things to come - Classic Pot Still and Grape Husk Brandies. They're the first fruits of a friendship with the Oettles of Upland Estate, and as impressive as the rest of this company.
With single-mindedness - concertrating on what you do best - made this estate such a fore-runner and leader of the Cape's red wine pack. Kanonkop is a fourth generation family estate, which was originally purchased by JW Sauer, a cabinet member in the parliament of the Union of South Africa. His son Paul Oliver Sauer, took over the reins from his father.
Mary Sauer, daughter of Paul Sauer, inherited the Estate. She married Jannie Krige, who took early retirement and together with Coetzee made the first estate bottled wines in 1973.
Beyers Truter joined the estate in 1980 with the departure of Coetzee, and together with Johann and Paul, sons of Mary and Jannie, continued the traditions developed on this highly prized estate.
KWV International was established in 1995 as a worldwide global trading company of KWV Limited. Its Head Office is in the Main Street of Paarl in the heart of the South African Winelands. It spearheads the export drive in quality wines and brandies from South Africa to the world, setting the trend for South African wines worldwide.
KWV International has three subsidiaries and an efficient distribution network, agents and representatives who ensure that their top of the range products are available in priority markets. KWV has access to the production facilities of one of the finest brandy distilleries in the world. The company's dedication to product development and its impressive facilities are geared to meet the rapidly growing international demand for its products.
Situated behind the Paarl mountains, this aera includes Fairview, Seidelberg and Ruitersvlei. Present winemaker Paul, and the flagship label, are named after the first Paul de Villiers to tap into the potential of this 650 ha farm in 1874.
Landskroon produces white wine, red wine and fortified wines but its reputation rests mainly on its dry reds. Through a pro-active, market driven approach they have produced numerous award winners and supply UK chains like Tesco, Safewats and Asda.
With her purchase of the Morgenhof wine farm in 1993, Madame Anne Cointreau-Huchon started on an epic journey of developing the sleepy Morgenhof farm into the internationally recognized estate and brand it has become. The whole feast she imagined - coffee shop, picnics, restaurant, etc - is all in the most immaculate taste, as are the wines made by Rianie Strydom.
This estate focuses on terroir-based wines, with the resultant award-winning wines available for tasting in the beautiful Tastevin, where visitors can experience the superb underground barrel maturation cellar - one of the unique features in the Stellenbosch winelands.
Morgenhof Wine Estate, Klapmuts Road,
Stellenbosch, 7599, South Africa
P.O. Box 365
Morgenster Estate in Somerset West is situated in the heart of the Cape winegrowing region. It is a thriving farm, producing Bordeaux-style wine and award-winning Extra Virgin Olive Oil and olive products.
Morgenster's flagship wine, the Morgenster 2001 was launched in March 2004 while their other label, Lourens River Valley, has already been on the market for a couple of years.
Morgenster's liquid gold - their Extra Virgin Olive Oil - has been the recipient of the coveted L'Orciolio d'Oro prize in Italy for five consecutive years since 1999 and just recently voted by Olive Business in Sydney Australia as the best olive oil in the entire Southern Hemisphere.
Morgenster Estate, Vergelegen Avenue,
Somerset West, 7129, South Africa
PO Box 1616
Deep in the Jonkershoek Valley, and with the input of several viticulturalists, Neil Ellis Wines make a global statements. More reliable that just about every other winemaker, Ellis achieves a blend of power and elegance that many have come to admire.
Ellis, recipient of many accolades since flying solo, had outgrown his leased cellar. Hans Peter Schroder, in search of a like-minded partner for a quality-focused winery and had extensive cellar facilities. From this synergy emerged a unique joint venture: Neil Ellis Wines.
Oude Nektar Farm, Jonkershoek Valley,
Stellenbosch, 7599
P.O. Box 917
Situated in the Breede River Valley, and nestled below the Langeberg range, its beauty not only lies in its spectacular setting, but in the great acclaim won in South Africa and around the world for the production of outstanding wines. Rooiberg is a favourite for its combination of reliability and value in white wines.
Rooiberg was established in 1964 and it now has 34 members contributing from individually owned farms around the cellar. The cellar is situated approximately 140 km from Cape Town on the R60 road between Worcester and Robertson.
The vineyards are planted in four different regions - rich in lime and a unique climate gives the natural attributes to produce outstanding wines.
An enchanting Cape African experience awaits you at historic Spier in the heart of the Stellenbosch Winelands. Spier is committed to both preserving the heritage of the land and properly developing it. The lush estate isn't just a place where one can enjoy leisurely lunches, tranquil ambience and picturesque views, but also a site for innovative developmental projects and burgeoning creativity.
Only a ten-minute drive from Stellenbosch, twenty minutes from Cape Town International Airport, Spier brings together the excitement of cutting-edge rural development and the lure of Cape African history.
Set this in the charm of the world-renowned Cape Wine Route, with the tempting flavours of a variety of Cape African foods and the mix is heady.
The original Stellenbosch Wine Route was founded in 1971 and has been promoting its members for more than 30 years. Today the new Stellenbosch American Express Wine Routes represent more than 300 wine and grape producers within the boundaries of the Stellenbosch Wine of Origin classification.
Our new, improved maps will guide you on your tasting tour and the entrance to each cellar is clearly signposted with the Wine Route logo. Daily wine tasting, cellar tours and sales are offered at most cellars and many of these have restaurant and picnic facilities.
Please refer to each of the member listings to view the facilities offered by individual cellars. Wine can be purchased at the cellar door. Your purchases of any given quantity can be delivered locally or internationally.
Van Ryn's insistence on quality brandy making starts with the selection of grape varieties. Chenin Blanc and Colombar grapes are harvested, and the free run juice fermented to a crisp, fruity young wine.
This is then distilled not once but twice, in small copper pot-stills, for a more delicate, refined brandy. Distillation yields first the "head", following by the "heart" and then the "tail". Of the three, the heart is the purest, and the only part of the distillate that is captured for maturation.
A fine brandy owes as much to the wood it is matured in as to the grapes from which it is made. The wood itself imparts character to the brandy while it ages. For this reason, French oak is imported and used to make small barrels, which allow greater contact between the brandy and the flavours of the toasted oak.
Anyone familiar with Vergelegen and it's winemakes, Andre van Rensburg, will understand why they are still around. During its long history Vergelegen has developed a unique culture. It is embodied in physical properties, in its people and in the more aesthetic traditions down over the last 300 years.
The property still gives pleasure to its numerous visitors with its layout, including the historic camphor trees and octagonal garden, the stately homestead and the fertile valley where fine wines are grown
Crowning a monotonously lengthening line of accolades, in 2002 Vergelegen was judged the country's joint top winery at the SA Trophy Show. In investing jargon, this label is a "strong buy, accumulate and hold".
