Overview
When planning the trip to Africa, we knew we wanted to experience wine country. We know many have asked should they visit Franschhoek or Stellenbosch. For us, it wasn’t either or, we wanted to do both so we could enjoy the best wineries in the area! We began our research into wineries near Cape Town that would match our wine tastes. We got a list of recommendations from Eleven Madison Park in New York City when we were visiting and experiencing their tasting menu. We got a recommendation for Thelema Winery from a vintner’s tasting in our neighborhood and coordinated a tasting through that contact. We also found a great winery restaurant from an article in the New York Times that we reached out to prior to the trip to coordinate around some dietary allergies and restrictions.
Private Itinerary
We provided our private guide the wineries and restaurants that we wanted to visit – Thelema and Hari Kitchen for lunch, and they figured out the itinerary as well as added another winery to the list, Groot Constantia. For us, three wineries are the perfect amount for a day trip.
Thelema
We were collected via a private driver and van with our first stop being Thelema Winery. Thelema Mountain Vineyards, a family owned and managed wine estate, is part of the Simonsberg Mountain range in Stellenbosch, South Africa. They have two brands of wine: Thelema and Sutherland. Once we reached the estate, we were shown to a lovely table on the back patio with stunning views of the grape vines and mountains. We sampled a number of their white and red wines. We highly recommend scheduling a visit to Thelema as part of your trip to South Africa.
While the winery experience was wonderful, we also enjoyed “bumping into” Thelema wines as we traveled around South Africa! After our Cape Town visit, we traveled to the Lion Sands River Lodge. While exploring our rooms, we found Thelema wine in our refrigerator. That was fun and we knew it was a wine we would enjoy. Later, on our first game drive, we stopped to enjoy the scenery and drinks as the sun set and we enjoyed Thelema wine again.
Vineyard Hotel
Upon our return to South Africa, our final stay was at the Vineyard hotel (see our review here). While enjoying our last dinner, we closed out our visit enjoying a final glass of Thelema wine. During our trip to South Africa, we enjoyed our different “contacts” with Thelema and were able to keep the experience going while back in the United States through stocking up at our local wine shop. Thelema also ships stateside and you can reach out to them directly and they will help you find their wines. https://www.thelema.co.za/shop
Hari Kitchen
For lunch, we visited Hari Kitchen, a unique dining experience with stunning views and personalized service. The restaurant, known for its “Surprise 4 Course – Sommelier-Chef’s Food and Wine Pairing Experience,” accommodates various dietary needs and preferences, delivering excellent afro fusion cuisine. We have an in-depth trip review about the Hari Kitchen here.
Groot Constantia
Our final stop was Groot Constantia, for a combination white and red tasting. Founded in 1685, Groot Constantia is South Africa’s oldest wine-producing farm. According to their website https://grootconstantia.co.za, their wine appears in Jane Austen’s novel ‘Sense and Sensibility’ as a cure for a broken heart and their wine is drunk to lift a character’s spirit in ‘The Mystery of Edwin Drood’ by Charles Dickens.
For our first visit, we sampled their normal tasting and they were able to accommodate that one of our party only likes white wine. We enjoyed the experience so much we went back for their wine and chocolate tasting on our final day in Cape Town.
Summary
We highly recommend a day trip to experience the wineries outside of Cape Town in Franschhoek and Stellenbosch. South Africa is an underrepresented region in the United States wine marketplace and the perfect location to enjoy undiscovered wine gems.
Here are some ideas for private day trips that we think you may enjoy below. Luxury Nomad Club is supported by our audience. When you purchase through our links, we may earn a small commission at no cost to you. All products and services featured are from those we recommend. Review our About Us page to see why you can trust us.
Of course, we prefer to experience private tours where possible so we can customize, and here is highly rated tour you might enjoy: https://www.viator.com/tours/Stellenbosch/Private-Winelands-Tour/d23419-245738P2?pid=P00158413&mcid=42383&medium=link&medium_version=selector
Here are some great Franschhoek wine tours:
Full-Day Wine Tour from Franschhoek: https://www.viator.com/tours/Franschhoek/Full-Day-Wine-Tour-from-Franschhoek/d24379-10561P4?pid=P00158413&mcid=42383&medium=link&medium_version=selector
For those that want some exercise with their wine experience: https://www.viator.com/tours/Franschhoek/Franschhoek-Winelands-Luxury-Full-Day-Tour/d24379-14103P10?pid=P00158413&mcid=42383&medium=link&medium_version=selector
A little luxury E-bike riding: https://www.viator.com/tours/Franschhoek/Franschhoek-Winelands-Luxury-Full-Day-Tour/d24379-14103P10?pid=P00158413&mcid=42383&medium=link&medium_version=selector
This super popular tour includes lunch and both wine regions: https://www.viator.com/tours/Cape-Town/Wine-tour-Stellenbosch-and-Franschhoek/d318-72627P1?pid=P00158413&mcid=42383&medium=link&medium_version=selector
Enjoy! Let us know your thoughts on South African wines!
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