Our Stories

With snowfall covering most of the mountains in the Western Cape at the moment and more rain forecast this week, it's the perfect time to turn to a South African favourite, the humble vetkoek or amagwinya.

However, there's nothing humble about the recipe for delicious Cape Malay curried beef mince vetkoeke that Chef Gordon from The Restaurant at Wildekrans Wine Estate shared with us. Do try this at home with a bottle of your favourite wine!

Several prominent events are about to put South African Chenin Blanc back in the spotlight. Clifford Roberts gives a brief rundown of the excitement driving the variety.

If there's a Ground Zero for South African wine, it must be Chenin Blanc. Few varieties have tracked our history from the start, become as ubiquitous and emerged as a shining light.

Spring and Summer in South Africa is the ultimate time to hit the road in search of gorgeous gardens. From the natural splendour of the Namaqualand wild flowers, to perfectly manicured wine estates, and the national treasures of botanical gardens in between.

Our wine routes and valleys play host to a vast variety of gardens that can be experienced in many different ways.

Agriculture and activities like the making of wine is often a family affair, as the stories of many of South Africa's winemakers reflect. Marking Father's Day this month, Maryke Roberts asked some of them to be re-told.

American philosopher Henry David Thoreau once said, "Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth."
While the idea of travelling seems impossible at the moment, this season of our lives will pass too. Here is a selection of scenic wine farms to savour, where the wine is chilled, the dining al-fresco and the views simply stunning. Add them to your Trip Planner, travel later and for now, enjoy the views.

The Visit Winelands team of passionate wine and travel writers are sipping on some of our favourite wines while we do our part to flatten the curve during the lockdown.

Meet the people behind the stories on our blog, take a peek at what’s in their wine glasses and tell us what’s in yours as you dream about your next winery visit – like we are!

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a nation-wide lockdown on Monday evening, 23 March 2020 that will be in effect for 21 days from midnight on 26 March 2020 to midnight on 16 April 2020.

If you are an international visitor in South Africa, please familiarise yourself with these regulations and find the contact details for our visitor safety programme and the coronavirus hotline here.

Our wineries are doing their part to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Strict safety and hygiene measures are in place. The hours of wine and other alcoholic beverages service have been reduced by the South African Government.

Before heading out to your favourite winery, please check online to see whether they are currently operating. Read more here.

‘I paint flowers so they will not die.’ – Frida Kahlo

It’s a completely natural fit, the blending of meticulously curated art with the Cape’s picturesque winelands. Be it perfectly sculpted pieces that add character to landscaped lawns, galleries that showcase the best of the country’s classical artists or a space where contemporary art meets African fusion.

Here are some of the top winery art galleries to visit in the Cape Winelands.

Ranging from 1700’s Cape Dutch buildings with thatched roofs, to ultra-modern millennium brick, cement and glass buildings, the Western Cape Winelands offer a diverse range of architecture, the one more show-stopping than the next. Even more so, most of these buildings are either set against the backdrop of the majestic Western Cape mountains, lush green vineyards, designer crafted gardens and/or a sapphire ocean.

A fresh year of exciting wine events is already underway. We’ve updated a selection of some of the main wine festivals and events to help you plan, especially if you want to extend your stay.

Get ahead of your busy schedule and diarize 2020’s food and wine festivals now. From large, family friendly shows to intimate, black-tie affairs – there’s plenty to get excited about.

No matter how you look at it, wine farming just isn’t the same as any other kind of farming. You won’t find a cattle farmer hosting a special release of his 2020 vintage beef or a vertical tasting from a wheat farmer. And though some of the glamour and glory of winemaking might seem unfair to other farmers, it all makes a bit more sense during harvest time in the winelands.

Vineyards are lush and full of fruit and visitors get to be part of the harvest fun. Get a sense of the grape’s journey from vine to barrel with these eight harvest festivals.