South Africa is one of the greatest wine producing countries in the Southern Hemisphere and has been making and producing wine for over 300 years. South Africa is known for producing wine using traditional techniques as well as exploring and utilizing new wine making techniques which are used around the world.
Vineyards are found all over South Africa, and are often located on beautiful landscapes, amongst an abundance of greenery, mountains and valleys in the Western Cape. Vineyards are also found in the Northern Cape’s Orange River area, where landscapes are engulfed by the Kalahari Desert.
Pinotage, a mixture of Pinot Noir and Cinsaut as well as Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are South Africa’s signature wines. Great quantities of these wines are produced in South Africa and many have become recognized and popular internationally.
Both Stellenbosch and Constantia are historic wine-producing regions as this is where Dutch settlers planted the first grape vines in the 1650’s. As wine-making skills and knowledge grew over the years, so too did the wine making industry grow in South Africa.
The vineyards of Constantia are perfectly located between the slopes of Constantia Mountain and the ocean. The five wine estates in Constantia are Klein Constantia, Groot Constantia, Buitervenwachting, Constantia Uitsig and Steenberg. All five of these wine estates offer excellent dining and wine-tasting experiences.
Stellenbosch is South Africa’s leading wine area as many of South Africa’s top wine estates are found in this region. The wine route, along with the large stretches of vineyards and mountainous terrain allow visitors to experience a relaxing and enjoyable wine-tasting and dining experience.
Franschoek is a small area which is located inland, to the west of Stellenbosch. Different styles of wines are produced here as the rainfall is greater in this region and the soil differs in quality. The Franschoek valley is surrounded by the Drakenstein mountains, which produce ghostly-sounding noises.
Constantia, Stellenbosch and Franschoek are extremely popular wine regions and hundreds of thousands of tourists visit the vineyards annually. However, other wine regions within South Africa, near the Western Cape include Elgin, Paarl, Robertson, Swartland, Walker Bay and Worcester. These vineyards are also located amongst lush landscapes and terrain, which create gorgeous views.
South Africa is currently the ninth biggest wine producer in the world and is home to about 250,000 acres of vineyard. South Africa’s wine-making industry employs over 250,000 people and has gained a great amount of international support and recognition over the years.
