SOUTH AFRICA WINE TOURS
BUCKET LIST
It’s far. It’s exotic. There’s no question that a trip to the Cape Winelands, maybe with a safari, is on everyone’s bucket list. And it doesn’t disappoint.
We have two fantastic options for touring South Africa. Either you book a 3-day private tour on your own schedule or you join one of famous group tours hosted by a Master of Wine that lasts 5 days on the set schedules below.
You start in Cape Town, where you will be greeted by Cathy van Zyl, a local Master of Wine and the leading authority on South Africa’s wines. Then the adventure begins and you set-off on a five-day wine safari to some of the most beautiful vineyard landscapes in the world, tasting wines that make you stop dead in your tracks.
Pinots that rival the best made anywhere. Syrahs that make your jaw drop. Chenins that are a thing of beauty. And that’s just the start of it. Sparkling, Chardonnays, Pinotage, sweet wines, the big question is why don’t we see more of these spectacular wines at home? Because they keep them for themselves.
It’s a cultural experience, one that will change you. The people, the energy, the intensity. The day you book your ticket is the day the excitement begins.
I invite you to join us.
JAMES CLUER, MASTER OF WINE
ABOUT THE TOUR & REGION
Your Mission
Striking out from Cape Town, we explore it all with privileged access to the greatest wineries. We taste from barrel, drink the wines over lunches and dinners at the wineries, and meet the owners and winemakers.
You’ll experience the Rhone-inspired blends and old vine Chenin Blancs of the Swartland district, the bold reds of Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, and Paarl, the elegant Pinots and Chardonnays of Walker Bay, and the historic wines of Constantia.
Based for 4 nights at your luxury retreat in the heart of the Cape winelands, this is your mission – if you choose to accept!
Your Mission
Striking out from Cape Town, we explore it all with privileged access to the greatest wineries. We taste from barrel, drink the wines over lunches and dinners at the wineries, and meet the owners and winemakers.
You’ll experience the Rhone-inspired blends and old vine Chenin Blancs of the Swartland district, the bold reds of Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, and Paarl, the elegant Pinots and Chardonnays of Walker Bay, and the historic wines of Constantia.
Based at for 4 nights at your luxury retreat in the heart of the Cape winelands, this is your mission – if you choose to accept!
The Pioneers
From Cape Town, we begin with a trip north to the present-day pioneers of Swartland who are creating an epicenter for South Africa’s most adventurous winemakers. This start will make you realize that you’re in for a treat, all week.
You will stay in luxury for 4 nights in Stellenbosch before returning to Cape Town on the final day of the tour where we journey back through time to visit the first wineries in the Cape that dating back centuries, and hear stories that leave you dumbfounded.
Our small groups of 20 or less make for intimate visits.
STELLENBOSCH
Your luxury luxury resort will be your wine safari basecamp, from where you will explore the the beating heart of fine South African wines at leading producers in the Stellenbosch and nearby Franschhoek and Paarl regions.
Syrahs, Bordeaux blends, Pinotage, Chenins and more are tasted at the icons – Ken Forrester, Jordan, Kanonkop, Vergelegen…
STELLENBOSCH
Your luxury luxury resort will be your wine safari basecamp, from where you will explore the the beating heart of fine South African wines at leading producers in the Stellenbosch and nearby Franschhoek and Paarl regions.
Syrahs, Bordeaux blends, Pinotage, Chenins and more are tasted at the icons – Ken Forrester, Jordan, Kanonkop, Vergelegen…
THE ICONS OF WALKER BAY
On the coast facing the Southern Ocean is South Africa’s premium region for elegant Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. These wines combine South African terroir with Burgundian savoir-faire, and garner top awards around the world.
Be it Hamilton-Russell, Bouchard Finlayson or others, we visit the icons. These are grand estates with spectacular wineries and hospitality to match.
MEET YOUR HOST
Our Luxury Wine Tours in South Africa are guided by Cathy van Zyl MW.
CATHY started her wine journey on a bicycle: she asked her husband to ride SA’s famed Cape Town Cycle Tour with her; he accepted if she attended a wine course with him. She has since notched up more than 21 tours – and passed the prestigious Master of Wine examination in 2005.
Previously chair of the Institute of Masters of Wine’s education committee, she is now a member of its Council. Cathy judges locally and internationally.
She occasionally contributes to wine journals and websites around the world but spends most of her wine-time as associate editor of Platter’s South African Wine Guide.
In 2019, she was named as the Cape Wine Masters’ Personality of the Year for her passionate promotion of South African wine at every conceivable opportunity.
UPCOMING SOUTH AFRICA WINE TOUR
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Included in the price is four nights’ accommodation, all meals during the tour (except on the one free evening) all winery tours, all wines at the visits, local transport for the duration of the tour, and all taxes and gratuities.
Basically everything is included except your flights, your onwards transport after the tour ends, insurance, and any items of a personal nature.
PLANNING TIPS
Before the tour we will send you some useful pre-trip information to help you with your planning. Here you’ll find advice on how to get there, tips on what to wear, other things to do in Cape Town, details on the hotel, and what you might like to read in advance.
WEATHER
We journey to the Southern Hemisphere, and March is one of the best times of the year. It’s early fall and the harvest activities are well underway.
TESTIMONIALS
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