Underground Cellar’s Guide to Wine Vacations in South Africa

For many people, a vacation in South Africa is one of those bucket-list items. It’s a destination filled with natural beauty, unbelievable wildlife, a vibrant culture, mouth-watering cuisine, and tons of attractions and sights to take in. But another huge attraction for those booking a holiday in South Africa is its wine scene. Wine tourism is something that has really taken off in South Africa and for good reason. 

South Africa is known for its wide variety of grapes, which leads to some pretty spectacular wines that have made a name for themselves all around the world. All in all there are more than 30 wine-growing regions in South Africa, all of which are notable and worth exploring. So where do you start?

We read an article recently on the best wine destinations for fun, and so we have explored this question and highlighted some tips on wine vacations in South Africa and how to make them successful.

Get to Know the Main Regions

A great place to get started with your planning is to get to know the main wine regions in South Africa. They can be divided into Klein Karoo, the Coastal Region (Capetown and the surrounding areas), The Western Cape, Cape South Coast, Breede River Valley, and Olifants River. Each one varies geographically as well as in taste of the actual wines. The good news is that you really can’t find a “bad” region, so you can’t go wrong with any of these areas.

From here, you can break it down even further and highlight some very specific areas within the regions. Take, for example, Stellenbosch, which can be found in the coastal region of Cape Town. It is actually known as being a popular town for students and holds quite a bit of character and charm. Not only that but it has the largest amounts of wineries located in one area. Here the winemaking traditions are historic in nature as they go back to the 17th century. You’re getting a true glimpse of traditional wine making. The area is known for its Shiraz, Chenin Blanc, Pinotage, and Chardonnay, all available from Underground Cellar.

While there are a lot of regions to explore, keep in mind they aren’t exactly close to one another so you may want to focus on just one or two.

Day Trips Versus Full Tours

You can also give thought to what style of vacation you want. Do you want to make the entire trip about wines? If so then it would make sense to book a themed holiday or plan out tours that focus on the wineries. If you’d prefer to mix a little sightseeing and exploring into the wine aspect of the holiday, then day tours make more sense. This will give you more flexibility with your itinerary.

What Season is Best?

You may also be wondering what time of year is the best for wine lovers? The good news is that South Africa doesn’t have a specific season that is best for wine lovers, as it is a year-round destination. Bear in mind that the peak tourist season tends to be November to March, so if you want to avoid the crowds, it’s best to visit in the off-season.

Ensuring You Have a Spectacular Adventure

These tips will help to ensure you have a spectacular South African holiday.