Bordered by rugged mountains and the crashing confluence of two great oceans, the Western Cape provides a spectacular backdrop for the booming business of wine tourism in South Africa. The region, home to almost all of the country’s significant wine estates, presents an enticing itinerary just an hour away from Cape Town. The tourist industry has brought vital inward investment, training programmes and well paid jobs to rural areas, with accommodation and fine dining to rival the best establishments anywhere in the world.
With an illustrious history of viticulture dating back to the 1650s, punctuated by an interregnum during the dark years of apartheid, the country’s reputation is burnished by a trend for premium cuvées. You can’t beat sampling such wines alongside the vines, and most estates provide a tasting experience of some kind, while others go much further, offering a luxurious place to stay.
Such is the majesty of the landscape, a room with a view is more or less guaranteed, while a balcony is the best place to admire the vines that march towards the distant horizon, or the famous fynbos, the region’s unique and gently aromatic scrub. The southern tip of Africa is, of course, the Cape Floral Kingdom, celebrated for its unique biodiversity and boasting around 9,000 plant species, of which 70 percent grow nowhere else on Earth – so there’s plenty to see and smell beyond the tasting room. Many wine hotels offer experiences and excursions for those seeking to embrace the great outdoors, from feeding buffalo calves to hiking or mountain biking, while some also have world-class spa facilities. Then there’s the gastronomy: it is said that what grows together goes together, and nowhere is that more true than in the Western Cape where its wealth of fresh ingredients pairs perfectly with the wines.
From luxury hotels to exclusive villas, here are five of the Western Cape’s top winery stays.
5 top hotels at wine estates in South Africa’s Western Cape
Spier Wine Farm
Stellenbosch
Having recently re-emerged from an ambitious refurbishment programme, set on a 650-hectare regenerative farm less than half an hour from Cape Town International Airport, Spier melds historic Cape Dutch gabled architecture (hence the name 21 Gables for its IWSC-gold-medal-winning top wine) with a modern, villa-based 76-room hotel. There are five eating options, from formal fine dining to a ‘bubbles and brai’ seasonal pop up; a sumptuous spa complex, offering holistic treatments and a heated pool that wouldn’t be out of place in South Beach; while children are entertained at the Buzz Club. There’s also a tranquil walking route through the grounds and segway tours of the vineyards, but the most impressive facet is Spier’s connection with its community: the complex is bedecked with beautiful art, a collaboration with local artists, while people from a nearby township are encouraged to grow and sell plants for use in the gardens. There’s also an admirable zero waste policy, so bring your own hotel slippers.
From £346 per night, spier.co.za
Babylonstoren
Franschhoek
At the foot of the Simonsberg mountain, not far from Franschhoek, Babylonstoren is one of the Cape’s oldest farms, completely renovated two decades ago to create an extraordinary idyll. A destination for day trippers, courtesy of its gorgeous gardens featuring indigenous plants, Babylonstoren makes for a memorable place to stay and unwind. A working farm employing almost a thousand people, tours range from an early morning visit to watch buffalo being milked, with a chance to feed a calf; to a walk through the grounds with an expert gardener as guide; or an immersive winery tour and tasting complete with paired snacks. There are three on-site restaurants – Babel, the Old Bakery and the Greenhouse – in which to enjoy delicious farm-to-fork food; a serene spa complex nestled among the vines; while the accommodation is a study in relaxed, white-washed calm, with each of the prestige fynbos cottages coming with its own golf buggy to help you get around.
From £690 per night, babylonstoren.com
Lanzerac Wine Estate
Stellenbosch
At the end of a long oak-lined drive, an imposing Stellenbosch landmark dating back to 1692, Lanzerac was a French-inspired pioneer of wine tourism, opening its first rooms to paying guests in 1959. These days it’s a luxury hotel as well as a wine estate, offering five-star accommodation set amidst heritage Cape Dutch architecture, with three restaurants – ranging from Manor Kitchen for fine dining, to the Taphuis for a fireside brasserie experience, or the Craven Lounge for something more relaxed – while there’s a tasting room complete with a pairing menu. There’s also a highly-regarded spa complex offering a range of treatments, three swimming pools, two of them heated, and sauna/steam rooms, but the magic of Lanzerac comes from the cosy warmth of the place, the historic wood-panelled surroundings, crackling log fires and friendly service.
From £590 per night, lanzerac.co.za
Vergelegen Wine Estate
Somerset West
Meaning ‘situated far away’, these days Vergelegen is located at the edge of bustling Cape Town, in Somerset West, but the vast estate is a world apart, nestled in 3,000 hectares of rambling grounds, formal gardens, woodland and vineyards in the foothills of the Hottentots. Established by a Dutch governor 325 years ago, the property also played host to early negotiations with the ANC, as South Africa edged towards democracy. With its location overlooking False Bay, Vergelegen isn’t just renowned for the quality of its maritime-climate wines, produced from the Bordeaux varieties, it’s a popular tasting room and dining destination, with the restaurant, Firehorse, providing delicious seasonal dishes, and it also offers an ultra-exclusive place to stay in luxurious, yet homely Cape Dutch splendour, at its four-bedroom heritage villa, complete with private garden and swimming pool.
From £1,900 per night for the entire villa, vergelegen.co.za
Creation
Hemel-en-Aarde
Established two decades ago on a ridge atop the Hemel-en-Aarde valley, a cool climate region close to the meeting point of the Indian and Pacific oceans, Creation has made waves with its wines, chiefly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but it has also developed an impressive hospitality offering, with a social conscience at its core, providing schooling for local children and WSET wine training for its staff. The focus is on ‘wine and wellness’, with a seasonal, locally-sourced, tasting menu providing an unforgettable dining experience, while the exclusive accommodation offer is also made for memories: the ‘Voormanshuis’ is an architectural masterpiece hiding amongst the vines, boasting floor to ceiling vistas of the surrounding valley. A well-appointed home from home for a couple to get away from it all, it comes with two mountain bikes to explore the nearby trails, firewood for the brai (barbecue) and binoculars for wildlife watching.
From £200 per night (self-catered), creationwines.com
