If you were to ask someone what they know about Cape Town, you’ll probably hear “wine” as one of their responses. Rightfully so, Cape Town is famous for it’s wine production with a history dating back to the 1650s. Cape Town’s climate, with long dry summers and rainy winters provide excellent conditions for growing grapes. Because of this, the Western Cape is filled with world-class wine regions and top-notch farms.
As a result, wine tasting is one of the best ways to spend a day in Cape Town. I’m probably the furthest thing from a wine expert but when prensented with the option of delicious wines, breathtaking landscapes, delicious food, and centuries old beautiful architecture, how could I pass up the opportunity?
TYPES OF SOUTH AFRICAN WINE
Before we delve into our wine tasting experience, it’s good to know what wines are available in Cape Town.
Red Wines
There are many kinds of red grapes grown in Cape Town. Red wines are most often (but not always) matured in oak barrels, and the skins are left on. The result is a red coloring from the skin, and a richness from the wood. Here are some of the red wines you’re most likely to come across on your wine tasting adventures in Cape Town.
Pinotage: Pinotage is the only grape that is unique to South Africa. It’s a hybrid of pinot noir and cinsault. Depending on the age of the wine, you may taste notes of red berries, spice, and chocolate or coffee.
Cabernet Sauvignon: There are several estates in Cape Town that carry Cabernet Sauvignon. With this wine, you’ll taste hints of black fruits, along with peppery notes and maybe even a tobacco flavor.
Merlot: The Merlots have gentle tannins and loads of delicious fruity flavours. It used to be mostly used in blends, but you’ll find 100% merlot at a lot of estates these days.
Shiraz/syrah: Most South African producers call this wine shiraz, but it’s the same thing as syrah. It’s a rich, deep wine with a distinct spiciness, and often a nice chocolate/coffee finish.
Cape Blend: This is, as the name dictates, a blend of different types of grapes. It has to have at least 30% pinotage to be a Cape Blend. Other grapes used include merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, shiraz, or other less common varietals.
White Wines
White wines are fermented in stainless steel tanks, but some are later matured in wood barrels. One of the most notable differences between white wines is the woodiness. Wooded whites are usually yellower and rich, while those bottled straight out of steel tanks are more clear, with a crisp finish. Here are a few of the white wines you’ll find most often.
Sauvignon blanc: South African sauvignon blanc is world famous. It’s light and crisp, with a distinctive summery acidity that makes it the perfect drink on a sunny day.
Chardonnay: Chardonnay is usually (but again, not always) wooded. It’s usually rich, yellow, and has notes of caramel, vanilla, and butter. Many estates these days produce unwooded chardonnays, which have a lighter colour and flavor.
Chenin blanc: Chenin is another great wine to sip on a sunny day. It usually has some wood contact, giving it more complexity than a sauvignon blanc, but it isn’t as rich as a chardonnay. It’s often a great food wine.
White blends: The South African white blends are incredibly diverse, but almost always delicious.
Bubbles
Bubbles are an essential element of any celebration. MCC stands for Méthode Cap Classique, and it is the South African equivalent of champagne. Sparkling wines are carbonated, while MCC develops its own bubbles in the bottle naturally.
Rosé
Many estates produce fantastic rosé, although it is not as common as red and white wine. It’s often inexpensive, and makes for great summertime drinking.
WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU GO WINE-TASTING
Wine-tasting can be a great experience for seasoned wine connoisseurs and total beginners alike. Many wine estates offer other activities, like picnics, amazing restaurants, cellar tours, pairings, and much more. Most are located on gorgeous estates and contain beautiful examples of the unique Cape Dutch architecture.
Wine tasting usually happens in the estate’s tasting room. Here, you’ll find knowledgeable staff to guide you through the process, telling you all you need to know about the wines you’re drinking. There is usually a small tasting fee, although many estates waive it if you purchase wines from them. A lot of estates ship internationally, so you can just place an order and your wine will meet you at home.
SPIER WINE FARM
Spier Wine Farm was our first choice on our wine tasting expedition. It’s located ___. It’s one of the oldest wine farms in South Africa with a recorded history dating back to 1692. When I arrived, I was blown away by how beautiful the grounds are. Spier offers wine tastings in their huge tasting room or on their patio which has beautiful mountain and water views.
They offer five different tastings. First is the Cape Heritage Pairing at a cost of R120 or $8.00 USD per person. It’s inspired by the food traditions of the early artisans of the Cape. This pairing contains the distinctive tastes and aromas of centuries-old Cape cuisine chimes with varietals such as Chenin Blanc and Riesling. The second pairing offered is Spier Tasting at R40 or $2.70 per person. You can choose three wines from their Signature range and one from each of the three premium wine ranges, 21 Gables, Creative Block and Seaward.
They also offer a chocolate and wine tasting at R70 or $4.70 USD per peron where their Spier Signature Méthode Cap Classique and the Spier Creative Block blends are paired with chocolates that complement and unlock flavors in each of the wines. Finally, is the Winemaker Selection which allows you two premium wine ranges plus Spier’s organic red wine and the children’s Grape Juice Tasting which is perfect for keeping the kids busy.
We went with the Cape Heritage Pairing. We sampled several wines from their Spier 21 Gables, Frans K. Smit and Speir Creative Block selections. Each wine was explained in depth by the worker providing the tastings. The 21 Gables Chenin Blanc was one of my favorites. It’s produced from old vines that yield thicker skinned grapes. This ultimately results in richly concentrated flavors. Other favorites were the Frans. K Smit Red and the 21 Gables Cabernet Sauvignon.
Kleine Zalze Wine Farm
Our next stop was Kleine Zalze Wine Farm. This century old estate lies in the Stellenbosch Winelands. The estate is comprised of Cape Dutch architecture. Here, you can find not only exquisite wine but also a gourmet restaurant as well. The estate also offers hiking and cycling trails, a golf course and a four-star lodge.
I, however, came for the wine and they didn’t disappoint! Their flagship wines are the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2017 Saubignon Blanc, 2018 Chenin Blanc, and 2015 Chiraz. Morever, some of their award wining wines include 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2017 Grenache, 2019 Sauvignon Blanc, 2019 Blush Vine Chenin Blanc, and 2018 Chenin Blanc Reserve.
Wine tastings are held next door to the winery at the The Kleine Zalze Cellardoor. The ambiance is very relaxed and the staff is there to inform you about what you’re drinking along the way. In addition to the wine, you’ll be in awe of the beautiful oak trees and views of the mountains and vineyards that surround you.
Conclusions
When it was all said and done, this turned out to be a great way to spend the day. Learning about and sampling wines in different beautiful settings, on a warm day was exactly what I envisioned for a “chill” day.
For more information, you can visit Spier Wine Farm online athttps://www.spier.co.za/. You can follow them on Instagram at @spierwinefarm
You can visit Kleine Zalze online at http://www.kleinezalze.co.za/. You can follow them on Instagram at @kleinezalze
Geron is an avid traveler, entreprenuer and mens style aficionado. He love’s mac and cheese, getting discounts, his momma, and a good whiskey, not particularly in that order. It’s alleged he lives in Miami, but no one really knows anymore.
Follow him on instagram at @geronp
