|
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. |
|
|
|
| Photographs of Cape Winelands Courtesy of
and © South African Tourism |
|
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 ... |
|
