South Africa Coastal Wine Tours - Elim Valley to Constantia

Only real wine connoisseurs would know that themeals. They are light and have a great flavor. The
South Africa wine route is a real dandy. While theCape Point Vintners are also starting to produce a red
valleys and rolling hills of Cape Town's inner citieswine and have recently seen the first harvest of red
provide the ultimate terroir for grape growing and havegrapes which they say looks to be very promising.
produced some of the best wines in the world, thereWhen you visit the coastal region of South Africa, be
are newer wineries and vineyards that are beingsure to not miss out on these wine routes. You can
grown in areas never thought possible. These are thealso include the area of Constantia which produces
coastal areas of South Africa. With sometimes galeaward winning wines from their 5 estates. The oldest
force winds and mild temperatures, it was oncewine farm in South Africa is located here called Groot
thought that these areas were not suitable for growingConstantia and you can enjoy exquisite
perfect grapes for making top quality wines.accommodation, meals and fun wine tasting. Some
The hard working South African vintners have provedmay not consider this a coastal wine area, but it is in
everyone wrong as the wines emerging from Capefact located just over the mountain from Noordhoek
Point (Two Oceans), Elim Valley in Cape Agulhas, andbeing 15-20 minutes from the Eastern side and only
Walker Bay have been winning all kinds of awards10-15 minutes from the western side at Muizenberg.
both local and international and are taking the viticultureYou should also not miss out on the other wine routes
world by storm. These grapes are grown in verywhile you are in Cape Town, South Africa, especially
harsh conditions and in seemingly unfertile sea sand likeStellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl making up the
soil. However, the white wines that have beenWinelands, Robertson, Tulbagh, Swartland, Wellington,
produced are of exceptional quality. They have beenWorcester and Breede River Valley, making up the
described as being light and fruity with good textureBoland and more interior regions. There are also wine
and a unique flavor that lasts.farms and lovely vineyards on the banks of the
The coastal regions start from Elim Valley at CapeOrange River in Mpumalanga Province, in the Karoo
Agulhas which is the tip of Africa. Here the vines arewhere the semi arid conditions produce awesome
fairly old despite only having entered the marketMuscadels and recently in the Free State and
recently. Vineyards were originally grown to supply theKwaZulu-Natal.
missionaries here with wines for religious blessing andThe coastal wine regions should most definitely be
so forth. It was determined that these could in factincluded in your tours and will offer you a totally unique
produce distributable wines and soon bottling andoutlook and experience of wines and the wine industry.
labeling began.With the subtle flavors and cooler climate you are
Moving further west you will reach the Hemel enbound to enjoy these wines with any meal you have.
Aarde Valley (Heaven and Earth Valley) where theThe beauty of the area is also one of the reasons to
majority of the Walker Bay vineyards are located.not miss out on these regions, because you can get
Many of these wines are crisp and flavorful withso much more out of your tour and take part in so
unique textures. There are very few fruity flavors, withmany other activities like hiking, cycling, paint balling,
stronger spicy, vanilla and earthy tones to them. Thissurfing, boating, shark diving, whale watching, swimming,
area is not only producing great white wines, but alsoabseiling, mountain biking and climbing, paragliding, hang
has a good selection of red wines which aregliding, scuba diving, snorkeling, and visiting the hundred
interesting and mild. The vineyards are fairly wellof attractions along the South African coast. Some of
protected in the valley and receive mild weather withthese include the penguins at Boulders Beach, Cape
the cold Atlantic Ocean breezes.Point and all its glorious features, the town of
Moving westwards again you will come to the FalseHermanus, Cape Agulhas lighthouse and its museums,
Bay area where the waters are warmer and thethe beauty of Clarens Drive, and Hangklip.
beaches full of holidaymakers. The Two OceansWhatever areas you decide to visit on your wine tour
wines come from this area near to Cape Point andof South Africa, you will find a large diversity in the
are affected by both the Atlantic Ocean breezes aswines that you taste, so if you can, get to all of the
well as the Indian Ocean breezes making for aregions and experience all the varietals.
uniquely flavored wine which is excellent with most