Overview
About Best of the Winelands Tour
Stellenbosch and Franschhoek are the two most famous wine districts in the country, and they are very different. Stellenbosch is South Africa's oldest wine town — founded 1679 — and produces the flagship Cabernet Sauvignons, Bordeaux blends and old-vine Chenins. Franschhoek was settled by French Huguenots in 1688 and produces the country's best MCC sparkling wine, Semillon, Rhône blends and gourmet cuisine. Visiting both in one day gives you the full sweep of the Cape Winelands.
Wanderer starts you in Stellenbosch with one or two morning estates — usually a historic Cape Dutch farm and a boutique cellar — to get you into the day slowly. From there, we drive over Helshoogte Pass, one of the most scenic mountain passes in South Africa, with a photo stop at the top overlooking Banhoek Valley.
Lunch is the middle of the day. We book you into a hand-picked estate restaurant in Franschhoek — options include Boschendal Werf, Pierneef à La Motte, Delaire Graff, Grande Provence, or a farm-lunch at Babylonstoren. Lunch is timed so nothing feels rushed and you can enjoy a paired wine or two with the meal.
After lunch, we visit one or two Franschhoek estates — often an MCC house for a sabrage demonstration, and a boutique cellar for something a little different. The afternoon light in Franschhoek Valley is one of the great sights of the Cape.
The day is entirely private. Your Mercedes-Benz is your own for the day, your Wanderer guide books every reservation in advance, and the itinerary flexes if you want to linger somewhere. Everyone in the group can taste — the driving is on us.
Wanderer is your single point of contact from enquiry to arrival home — chauffeur, estates, lunch, timing, weather, everything. If you only have one day for the Winelands, this is the day we recommend.