Taste Wine in the Stellenbosch, South Africas Biggest Winemaking Region

Stellenbosch: Where South African Wine Has Been Made Since 1679

The Dutch East India Company established Stellenbosch as a refreshment stop for ships rounding the Cape in 1679, and wine has been produced in the surrounding valley continuously since shortly after. That puts Stellenbosch’s wine history at over 345 years – older than most of the world’s respected wine regions have been making wine in their current form. The Pinotage grape, the South African hybrid variety developed by crossing Pinot Noir with Cinsault, was created here in 1925 and remains unique to this country. Stellenbosch is 50 kilometres east of Cape Town on the lower slopes of the Hottentots Holland mountains, and the combination of warm days, cool nights, and granite soils produces conditions particularly suited to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc alongside Pinotage.

What to Expect from Tastings

Most estates charge a tasting fee of R80 to R150 per person, often credited toward purchases. The wines are generally good quality and significantly cheaper than equivalent bottles would be in Europe or North America. Tastings are usually self-directed at a cellar door rather than formal sit-down experiences, though the more expensive estates offer paired food and wine experiences in the R400 to R700 range. The Stellenbosch Wine Routes operate a map-based sub-regional system. Simonsberg-Stellenbosch produces some of the most substantial reds. The Helderberg sub-region is cooler and produces more structured Cabernets.

Estates Worth Visiting

Meerlust has been in continuous operation since 1756 and produces Rubicon, one of the most consistently excellent Bordeaux-style blends in South Africa. Tokara on the Helshoogte Pass has restaurant-quality food and an architecturally interesting cellar. Delaire Graff is extravagant and expensive but the restaurant terrace view across the valley earns it. Jordan is reliable across the range with good value relative to quality and a more accessible price point than many neighbours.

For something less publicised, Bothma’s Kloof and the Banhoek Valley east of town are less visited and worth exploring independently. The wines from the smaller producers there can surprise.

The Town of Stellenbosch

The town, around 80,000 people, has one of the better-preserved collections of Cape Dutch architecture in South Africa along Dorp Street and Church Street: whitewashed houses with curved gables, many from the 18th century, now operating as shops, restaurants, and accommodation. The University of Stellenbosch has been here since 1918 and gives the town an active student population that supports a reasonable restaurant and bar scene.

Oom Samie se Winkel on Dorp Street opened in 1904 and still operates as a genuine general store selling wine, provisions, and the eccentric mixture of goods such shops have always stocked. It is not a tourist performance.

Practicalities

Hire a driver or join a tour for any serious amount of tasting. Several Cape Town operators offer day tours for R800 to R1,500 per person including transport. Driving yourself from Cape Town takes 45 to 60 minutes via the N2 or R300. Accommodation within Stellenbosch ranges from vineyard guest farms to central hotels. The Stellenbosch Hotel on Dorp Street is central and reasonable. Babylonstoren in the Franschhoek valley, 30 minutes east, is the most ambitious estate hotel in the region and worth a night if the budget extends.