The Cape Winelands:
When one reflects on the splendours of the Cape - lush green valleys,
rugged mountains, azure seas and sky - then the Cape’s winelands are
usually top of the list. Visitors pour into the Cape to experience our
viticulture, restored Cape Dutch farmsteads with their distinctive gables
and thatched roofs, and the mountains that form the dramatic backdrop to
all of this. The Cape winelands are some of the most scenic in the world
and wine tourism is one of South Africa’s fastest growing industries.
South Africa also has the largest number of Fairtrade certified wineries
in the world and the biggest single Fairtrade accredited project worldwide
was recently launched at Du Toitskloof Cellar in Rawsonville in the
Western Cape. |
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Photographs
of Cape Winelands Courtesy of and © South African Tourism |
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Traditionally, when referring
to the Cape winelands, one called to mind the cellars around Stellenbosch,
Paarl, Wellington and Franschhoek. However, South African wine has
undergone a whole new momentum. An emerging ethos has taken the local wine
industry into the global arena. South African wine has come of age and is
now competing on the world wine stage. A whole new generation of
winemakers has appeared and there has been a shift from grape farming to
wine growing.
One would thus be remiss if one did not include the many wine routes of
the Cape, some of which are an easy drive from Cape Town, such as the
Constantia, Durbanville, Darling and Walker Bay winelands. Most of South
Africa’s vineyards are found in the Western Cape near the coast. The
weather is perfect for growing grapes - rainfall measures up to 40 inches
a year, the mild Mediterranean weather provides the perfect climate and
the ground is mainly sandy and rough.
The Cape’s winelands stretch from the coast to the plains of the Little
Karoo, where grapes are also grown in the riverine valleys. There are
currently some 560 wineries and 4 400 primary producers of vineyards in
the Cape, divided by the Wine of Origin Scheme ... |
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