THE CAPE WINELANDS

The Cape Winelands are among the most beautiful in the world and the variety of wines and areas is enormous.  Most of the wine farms have beautiful Cape Dutch architecture and beautiful gardens.

The first vines were planted by the Dutch settlers in 1655.  However, it was when the French Huguenots arrived to settle here from 1685 onwards, and brought all their knowledge about wine-making, that the wine industry really started in South Africa.

There are many wine routes in and around Cape Town and most of them require a full day trip to complete.  Most farms offer wine tasting and there are plenty of restaurants that provide excellent meals. Visitors can also buy wine at these farms and have it sent back to their homes overseas.

The most famous wine farm in Cape Town is Groot Constantia, which was the home of the governor, Simon van der Stel, in the 1600’s.  It is said that his ghost can still be seen wandering along the oak-lined avenue!  An ancestor of our Grade 6 teacher, Mrs Barrett, once owned Groot Constantia, but lost it because of his bad drinking and gambling habits!