Raise your glasses to Stellenbosch, an adorable 350-year-old town in the Cape Winelands — the birthplace of winemaking in South Africa that’s just 50 kilometers from Cape Town.
IF YOU’RE THINKING OF visiting ‘wine country’ in a great wine country, I have two words for you: South Africa. My family and I recently took an Adventures By Disney vacation that included awe-inspiring days on safari, but also gifted us with great opportunities to see other parts of the country and, importantly, drink well! Stellenbosch, located just 50 kilometers outside of Cape Town, is the capital of what’s known as the Cape Winelands, with some of the best vineyards South Africa has to offer. Yet visiting Stellenbosch offers so much more than wonderful wineries; there are also interesting museums, fabulous art galleries, and a variety of delightful coffee shops.
Getting to Stellenbosch, the second oldest town in South Africa dating back to 1679, was an easy hour’s drive despite the rain and gray sky. From the moment we arrived I knew this was a place where you could spend an entire day and still have more to see. Unfortunately, the morning greeted us with a cold rainstorm that was not ideal for walking around. We quickly decided that we were not dressed appropriately for the weather–providing a lovely excuse to shop. We wandered into a number of stores where we found stylish, made-in-South-Africa clothing that was also functional.
As we wandered through the town, we encountered beautiful works of art on display inside and outside of galleries. It felt like we were in an immersive museum experience. Part of the charm of Stellenbosch is rooted in the wonderful displays of history and art depicting and rooted in everyday life. A highlight was seeing a display of Nelson Mandela’s tennis shoes that he wore when he walked out of prison. But this was not in a museum – rather in a store selling that brand of shoe. One of the government buildings has an exquisite map sculpture in its courtyard depicting Mandela’s face.
The chill and dampness of the air was also a wonderful excuse to try one of the many coffee shops available in town. We treated ourselves to steaming hot teas and lattes. Our barista eagerly gave us an elaborate demonstration of his artistic expertise. We excitedly sampled a hot rooibos tea latte. Rooibos tea is such a staple in South Africa that if you ask for simply tea, rooibos is what you’re likely to get. I found it absolutely delicious.
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The Manor House at Spier
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Images courtesy of Spier Wine Farm (3)
After a few wholesome cuppas, we realized that it’s always five o’clock somewhere and it was time to really take advantage of being in the Cape Winelands. This region of rolling vineyards was the birthplace of the South African winemaking industry, and has some of the oldest wineries in the country, including our destination, Spier Wine Farm. We eagerly walked up the gravel road to the main entrance of the Spier Estate, and, climbing the steps to the manor, we knew we were going to be treated to an elegant experience. The ambience provided a beautiful aesthetic and picturesque backdrop. We began with a lavish buffet lunch featuring several South African dishes. The wine tasting included six wines at each place setting: three red and three white. South Africa is known for its own blend of wine, the Pinotage, and this turned out to be a clear fan favorite. We left Spier with cheerful smiles as we headed back to Cape Town from Stellenbosch.
It felt like we had spent the day deep in the countryside when in actuality we were right outside of Cape Town. For a few hours we were whisked away to a part of South Africa that is a perfect complement to both the stunning city of Cape Town and the serenity of the bush on safari. And my whole family cheers to that.
Lede image by Merten Snijders/The Image Bank/Getty Images.
