Elgin Valley to Zandvliet
The Overberg wine route is one of the Western Cape’s lesser known routes, but a gem nonetheless. The region spans over 250 km of pristine landscape, and various towns have beautiful wine farms who produce a variety of exceptional wines.
The Overberg’s climate and soil produce not only standard wines, but Mediterranean varieties as well, such as Syrah, Mourvedre, Touriga Nacional and Trincadeira.
The route begins at the Elgin Valley Wine Route, which boasts 16 wine farms. The farms such as Paul Cluver, South Hill Vineyards and Thelema produce some of South Africa’s best wines. Paired with their wines are great dining experiences, and Paul Cluver recently opened an amphitheatre to host music events. The Elgin Cool Wine Festival is an annual celebration of the valley’s wines and visitors can enjoy different styles of cuisine from wine farm to wine farm.
Botriver Wines
Botriver is next on the wine route, and boasts with 14 wineries as well as the Bot River Winegrowers Association. The region has both small and state-of-the-art wineries, making it a down-to-earth, unspoilt community of wine producers. Genevieve MCC and Gabrielskloof are notable wine farms, and visitors to the region can expect a more local, fun atmosphere at any wine tastings.
The Hemel-en-Aarde Valley is a popular spot on the wine route and is one of the more exquisite wine valleys in the Western Cape. Creation and La Vierge are among the more notable wineries, while Ell’s Spookfontein wines are known for being ethically sourced. The Hermanus wine route has 15 wineries who produce top award-winning wines. Newton Johnson and Sumaridge have beautiful views over an expansive dam, and the area boasts with splendid natural landscapes.
Stanford has a few top-notch wine farms, including Sir Robert Stanford Estate, Stanford Hills and Raka. Swellendam also has small but noteworthy wine farms worth the trip, including Van Loveren, which produces great quality wines.
The Overberg wine route ends at Zandvliet, which is home to the best Shiraz in South Africa.
Across the Hottentots Holland Mountains range over Sir Lowry’s Pass lies the Winelands of Overberg a high, rocky plateau where timber plan...