2025 South Africa, Zimbabwe & Zambia - Day #8 - Winelands

from our Rothschild Safaris Itinerary

Cape Winelands

Although wine is produced over a much broader area, this region of absolutely beautiful agricultural valleys to the northeast of Cape Town is the real heart of the Winelands. The village of Franschhoek is the prettiest in the area and is the gourmet capital of the country. Set at the end of a beautiful valley with scenic vineyards surrounded by impressive granite mountains, and settled by French Huguenots in 1672, the town has always had a natural proclivity towards fine wines and cuisine. The elegant and historic town of Stellenbosch is the region's capital. The presence of the university gives the town a real vibrancy, whilst various museums and historic sites provide plenty of interest. There are over 100 wineries within easy reach around the town, plus dozens of top class restaurants.

Departure time 9:00AM
Please meet in the lobby of your hotel
Recommended attire casual clothing, comfortable shoes
Activity inclusions - private vehicle and guide, entrance fees
Special notes-lunch is payable direct, order and specific activities may vary

The Cape Winelands are now established as offering the finest combination anywhere in the world of spectacular scenery, excellent cuisine and, above all, award winning wines with an established international reputation.

Today you will enjoy a unique corner of Africa, a taste of its seductive wines and a step into a distinctive past. The wine industry dates back as far as 1688 when French Hugenots, escaping religious persecution at home, settled in the area now centered around the charming, historic town of Franschhoek home to wonderful examples of Victorian and Cape Dutch architecture.

Your day in the winelands offers a range of experiences. You will visit several premier vineyards for wine-tasting. Between tastings at award winning wineries, lunch will be enjoyed in Franschhoek, another charming, historic town the oldest in the country after Cape Town. It is an educational center that is not only famed for its wines but for its distinctive Cape Dutch architecture and walkable streets filled with boutiques, coffee shops, bakeries, galleries and young people. After your tour you will be transferred to Brookdale Estate for an evening at leisure.

Lunch Reservation at La Petite Ferme Restaurant A table for 5 has been reserved for 1:30PM

BROOKDALE ESTATE

Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Klein Drakenstein mountains in Paarl, Brookdale Estate is as unexpected as she is enchanting. Hugged by the tranquil valley and surrounded by natural beauty, the estate is also a working wine farm and offers some of the region's most innovative wine creations.

Brookdale Estate is home to an elegant Manor House with sprawling gardens, a restaurant and tasting lounge, and a natural paradise of indigenous vegetation. The estate is also has a new state-of-the-art Wine Cellar, which overlooks a portion of the vineyards. Set on gentle slopes amongst our vineyards, The Bistro gazes across new vines and the mountainous landscape of the valley in the Paarl Winelands. Within the Tasting Room, you can discover more about the Brookdale and Mason Road Wines, ask questions, learn about the vines and wine philosophy and sample terroir-driven vintages.

Crashing early the night before, I had a pretty good night's sleep. Sharon and I both slept until just before the alarm went off at 6:30 am. I did a 10 minute bodyweight Peleton workout in the room.

Sharon and I finished packing and then went down for breakfast (omelet). Dragging the luggage down and checking out, we met Barry in front of the hotel just before 9 am.

The plan for the day was to explore the Winelands. Working with Sharon, Barry switched around the plans from the original itinerary to make more sense geographically. Over the course of the morning, we wine tasted at Meerlust, Waterford Estate and Oldenburg, I would love to find some bottles of the Meerlustl Rubicon for the fall dinner party. Barry said that it was South Africa's Opus One. The tasting at Waterford was wine and chocolate. The setting at Oldenburg was fanastic.


We stopped and briefly explored the town of Stellenbosch. Sharon bought an Ostrich bracelett and purse.


We had a light lunch at Babylonstoren (Vegetable and Grain Bowl). Afterwards, we walked briefly through their extensive gardens.


Heading to where we were staying for the night, we made a stop at the Afrikaans Language Monument. Barry said that it was the first time in six years of guiding that a group had ever asked him to stop there. It is definitely brutalist architecture.

We are spending two night at the Brookdale Estate. The five of us finished the day with a wonderful private dinner at the Estate. We started dinner about 7:30 pm. By the time, we got to bed it was almost 11 pm.