Category Archives: South Africa

Wine regions of South Africa: Paarl

Paarl lies about 50km northeast of Cape Town, in the valley of the Berg River and the Paarl Mountains. Paarl lies about 50km northeast of Cape Town, in the valley of the Berg River and the Paarl Mountains. The region is home to a number of well-known wine estates such as Fairview, KWV and Nederberg. The soil is mostly shale, which helps to hold moisture while allowing good drainage. Most vineyards are on south-facing slopes, with vines planted at fairly high density. The name means “pearl” in Afrikaans, reflecting the former name of a town which lies at the centre… Read more

Wine regions of South Africa: Constantia

Location Perhaps the most famous of its kind, Constantia is one of South Africa’s oldest wine regions, and it’s in the Western Cape province. It is situated on the slopes around Table Mountain and is a suburb of Cape Town. Constantia boasts some of the most iconic wineries in South Africa because of the age and history behind them. Groot Constantia Klein Constantia Buitenverwachting Steenberg Vineyards Beau Constantia History One of the most important wine regions in South Africa, Constantia is home to some of the oldest vineyards in the country. In fact, the first vines were planted here by… Read more

Wine regions of South Africa: Stellenbosch

The town of Stellenbosch, founded in 1679, is less than 30 miles from Cape Town. The name means “the place of the star” in Dutch. It is located in the wine region of the same name. One of South Africa’s oldest wine regions Phylloxera — a vine disease that destroyed some of the world’s most famous wine regions in the late 19th century — hit Stellenbosch hard, but after replanting with American rootstocks, the region was able to recover and maintain its position as one of South Africa’s oldest wine regions. You won’t find white wines in Stellenbosch as readily… Read more