I attended We Are Africa 2022, an incredible trade show that I always learn from. Supported by their head sponsors WESGRO, these are some of the reasons they recommend spending much time in the Western Cape.’
While many of you have experienced the captivating beauty of Cape Town, you might be less familiar with some of the other parts of the Western Cape province. Here is an intro to a few of the Western Cape’s wine regions and wine farms, which you might have sampled at Stadium Sundowners during We Are Africa last month.’
FRANSCHHOEK WINE VALLEY
Nestled between towering mountains in the beautiful Cape Winelands lies the magnificent Franschhoek Wine Valley. Spectacular vineyards cover these mountain slopes settled more than 300 years ago by the Huguenots, who brought with them their age-old French wine and food culture. The fertile Franschhoek Wine Valley is home to some of South Africa’s noble cultivars and classic styles. If you joined us for Stadium Sundowners at the show last month, you would have enjoyed some of the region’s finest Semillon and Chenin Blanc wines from Vignerons de Franschhoek.
PLETTENBERG BAY WINELANDS
Plettenberg Bay is South Africa’s smallest wine-growing region and also the country’s most easterly cultivar and stretches 57 km along the thin coastal strip from Packwood in Harkerville until Lodestone on the Redford Road in the Crags. With a cooler climate and ideal conditions for growing grapes, the area is now experimenting with new more robust red varietals as well as olives, macadamia nuts, pecans, avocados and figs. Plett hosts several different events and festivals focused on wine, bubbly, and agriculture throughout the year.
SPIER HOTEL AND WINE FARM
Spier Hotel, situated on the historic Stellenbosch wine farm, is the ideal family-friendly location from which to explore the Cape Winelands. Spier, which has been ranked within the top 100 vineyards in the world, houses one of South Africa’s largest contemporary art collections and offers a variety of restaurants and award-winning wines. The village-style hotel – reminiscent of a quaint village – caters to guests’ every need, from rest and relaxation to adventures for kids and adults.
OVERSTRAND
The Overstrand Municipality, covering the Cape South Coast from Rooiels to Pearly Beach, is an area known for its natural beauty, marine wildlife, and ample art offering. It also has the honour of being Africa’s first and only UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy. World-famous wines, award-winning craft beers and gins complement the local produce. Abalone or perlemoen, as the delicacy is also known, is farmed in Hermanus, Gansbaai and Buffeljagsbaai and is part of the region’s heritage.
CREATION WINES
No 10 on the 2021 World’s Best Vineyards list and No 1 in Africa, Creation Wines is situated in the Hemel-en-Aarde valley (meaning Heaven and Earth) in the Overstrand Municipality. Creation Wines is known for its novel, and authentic experiences and guests are treated to wines and food that are artfully, thoughtfully and lovingly created to reflect the pristine environment.
** This content was supplied by WeAreAfrica and WESGRO.
