The wineland region of South Africa is in the south-west of the country towards Cape Town called the Cape Wineland District. This is located in the Boland region of the Western Cape Province. Boland meaning upland, it is famous for being an excellent wine producing area with a Mediterranean climate.
Full of mountain ranges, the Franschhoek and Stellenbosch wine estates provide the ideal microclimates to grow their vines. South Africa exports around 450 million litres of wine per year, and is the ninth largest producer in the world. There are over 385 square miles of vines.
Franschhoek has a strong French influence, famous for the Cap Classique, a sparkling wine made with the same method as Champagne. Through the town is a wine tram, this is a hop-on hop-off tour and a brilliant way to discover the Franschhoek Valley. Many of the vineyards offer complimentary wine tasting and there is a beautiful village market as well as a motor museum.
Stellenbosch, is the second oldest town in South Africa and has German influence. It is a university town only 30 minutes from Cape Town International Airport, within the nature reserves of Simonsberg and Jonkershoek. The Stellenbosch wine route formed in 1971 has nearly 200 producers, and it was the first region to establish a formal wine route through the wineries. On this route you can pass the Stellenbosch Valley, Helderberg and Greater Simonsberg. This route has more wine awards than any other region in South Africa.
