Self-Guided Stellenbosch Wine Tasting Itinerary
In the Western Cape of South Africa, Stellenbosch is known for being the epicenter of breathtaking wine estates. If you are in Cape Town and want to do some serious wine tasting, Stellenbosch is the place to go.
During my semester studying at the University of Cape Town, I made several trips to Stellenbosch (or “Stellies” as the locals call it). But when my mom came to visit for a week, we could only afford to spend one afternoon there. With hundreds of wine estates to choose from, it can be overwhelming to pick and choose where to go, especially when time is limited. And going with a tour group can not only be pricey but it prevents you from taking things at your own pace.
So, after lots of planning and research, I constructed an itinerary that would allow my mom and I to taste wine at a variety of places and take our sweet time enjoying each stop.
11:30 - Depart from Cape Town for Stellenbosch
(Uber for R300-R400)
It takes around 40 minutes to get to Stellies from Cape Town and on the way you are likely to pass everything from townships to zebras until all you can see are rolling hills covered in grape vines.
12:15 - First Tasting at Jordan Wine Estate
Jordan is a relatively young wine estate beginning in 1993. It was the perfect place to kick off our afternoon of tastings! We started with the “Short n Sweet” tasting which allows you to taste a selection of 3 wines for R30 per person. And, seeing as it was about lunch time we added on the “Local Cheese Platter” for R180.
Total cost of this stop for two people: R240
13:30 - Second Tasting at Neethlingshof Wine Estate
Just 10 minutes away from Jordan is Neethlingshof. (Note: We used uber to get everywhere on this day because it is quite inexpensive and removed the issue of having a designated driver).
Neethlingshof was my favorite stop of the day! They do what is called a “Flash Food Pairing” for R110 where you get 5 bite-sized dishes specially paired with 5 wines. A foodie’s dream! And if you call ahead of time to book you can let them know of any dietary restrictions you might have. They put together a special vegetarian flight for us and made sure the dishes would still have flavors that complimented their paired wines.
Total cost of this stop for two people: R220
15:30 - Third Tasting at Lanzerac Wine Estate
20 minutes from Neethlingshof is Lanzerac Wine Estate (which also has a hotel and spa if you are inclined to stay longer than an afternoon!). They offer a chocolate tasting which pairs 5 wines with 5 chocolates for R120. The chocolate comes in gold wrapping that says exactly what wine it is meant to compliment. It was the sweetest ending to our perfect afternoon of tasting!
Total cost of this stop for two people: R240
One bonus estate if you have it in you: Spier Wine Farm
Spier is a massive estate and even offers several activities outside of wine tasting. In the summer months (Nov - Feb) they have a Sunset Platter and Wine special where, after 17:00, you can get a cheese board and a bottle of wine for just R110.
A few things to keep in mind as you plan your own perfect wine day in Stellies!
Most wine estates will have a place to make a booking online but bookings are often not required for small groups so if you want to add on another estate, don’t let the lack of a booking stop you!
If you do make bookings, don’t worry too much about making the time exactly. This is South Africa - timing is very flexible. Just keep in mind that tasting rooms often close around 17:00 or 18:00.
Ubering for transportation - it worked great for us and I highly recommend! But make sure to call the car around 10 minutes ahead of when you want to depart because there are not as many drivers readily available like there are in Cape Town.
My most recent wine-tasting trip to Stellenbosch was during the holidays! Come with my family, my boyfriend, and me from vineyard to vineyard in Part Two of my Cape Town Holiday Vlog.
