Lunch at De Wetshof
Penguins at the Boulders Penguin Reserve
Tasting at Hamilton Russell with Anthony Hamilton Russell
Landscape of L'Ormarins, Franschhoek, South Africa
South Africa Wine Tour
15 - 23 February 2014
The Cape is one of the most spectacular vineyard regions in the world. Our wine holiday in South Africa covers the best of the wine and some of the most beautiful sites. This year’s tour is an exciting new version of our long standing tour. We are still visiting many famous estates in the classic regions but are also exploring several new areas that have sprung to prominence over the past few years.
The Cape has a long tradition of wine production dating back to the Dutch settlers of 1652. When the British took over a new wealth was brought to the country and many of the gracious Cape-Dutch homesteads were built. It was hoped initially that the Cape would become “the vineyard of the Empire”. This happened to some extent, although quality table wine production didn’t catch on, Cape ‘Port’ and ‘Sherry’ became popular and ‘Constantia’ Muscat established a superb reputation.
Then came a downward spiral caused by the political situation, a partial boycott and bad publicity. At the same time European laws to protect names such as ‘Sherry’ came in and there was a surge in quality elsewhere in the New World. This led to a near total disappearance from international markets. Following the country’s ‘opening up’, exports and quality increased, and recently, soared to very highest levels.
We start our South Africa wine holiday in Cape Town where we stay on the lively waterfront. On the Victoria & Alfred wharf there are numerous restaurants, wine shops and even a brew-pub serving food. There are interesting shops and in-door markets to browse round too. Table Mountain, the Two Oceans Aquarium, a boat trip around the harbour and a visit to Robben Island or to Cape Point make it worthwhile to fly out a couple of days before the tour begins or stay on after!
On our first evening we visit Constantia have a comprehensive tasting at the superb estate of Buitenverwachting. The estate is renowned for its refined red wines, lively Sauvignon Blanc and for its sweet Muscat desert wine.
We head north of Cape Town visiting first the cool climate Durbanville region that gets influence from both the Atlantic and Southern Oceans, this has turned out to be a very good spot for Merlot. Next we arrive in the exciting Swartland region with its Mediterranean climate where we stay for two nights. We look forward to visiting or meeting revolutionary, natural winemakers such as Lammershoek, Babylon’s Peak, Sadie and Badenhorst who are collectively perhaps the most exciting group of winemakers in South Africa today. We also visit the Allesveloren estate, who are doing interesting things here with Portuguese grape varieties.
Continuing east from Swartland, we taste in the Wellington wine region then cross the spectacular pass into the small Tulbagh region, which is almost enclosed by high mountains giving it a more continental climate of hot days and cool nights. We continue on to Worcester and Robertson. These were traditional ‘fortified’ regions but here we taste interesting exciting modern wines in Robertson with Excelsior and De Wetshof. Robertson was traditionally an average white wine region but it is now much better and increasingly known for Cabernet too. We stay in the small Victorian-era town of Montagu.
Down on the coast at Hermanus on Walker Bay we have a keynote visit and lunch with Hamilton Russell, pioneers of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in South Africa and always one of the most enlightened of the Cape estates. Nearby the former orchards of Elgin are the latest cool climate quality hot spot. Here we visit one of the new star estate, Paul Cluver.
The Huguenot town of Franschhoek (literally ‘French Place’) is our next base. In Franschhoek we visit the Rupert family’s Antonji Rupert winery. The wines perform extremely well, in particular in the premium range. From Franschhoek we visit several estates in the nearby Stellenbosch wine region. Thelema Mountain has featured on every tour that we have taken to South Africa and we look forward to a private tasting of these sensational wines. Hopefully Gyles Webb the owner or Rudi the winemaker will join us, dependent on what’s happening with the harvest. We also enjoy an evening Snoek Braii (fish BBQ) with the masters of Pinotage, Kanonkop.
Annandale, owned by former Springbok forward Hempies du Toit, features for the fist time. This is a serious red wine specialist. Our last visit is to Jordon, one of the Cape’s outstanding quality estates who make some very good “Rhone-style” wines.
There will also be free time in the attractive University City of Stellenbosch, one of the best-preserved towns from the era of the Dutch East India Company who settled in the Cape in 1652. The town is famous for the Cape Dutch thatched and gabled buildings that line its streets. The tour ends with a visit to the magnificent famous botanical Kirstenbosch Gardens.
On this wine tour, unlike casual tourists in the wine lands, you receive personal welcomes from the wine-makers, great wine tastings and private invitations to lunch or dinner. The tour offers some fantastic scenery, fine food and glorious weather.
As well as being an up to the minute wine tour of an exciting wine country, it covers most of the Cape’s beautiful sites, a tour not to be missed! Read Laura’s blog from South Africa 2012 here.
15 - 23 February 2014
£2,299.00 
per person
Places available.Early Booking Price: £2299 per person. Book before 28th June 2013, when the price will increase to £2399.
Price Includes:
- 8 nights in 4* hotels and guesthouses, all with breakfasts.
- 11 meals with wines which range from simple picnics to gourmet meals at some of the Cape’s top restaurants. Where possible coffee or tea is included after meals, but some picnic places do not have facilities to make coffee. All wine visits and tastings.
- Air conditioned coach for the itinerary.
- Entrance to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.
The tour will be escorted an Arblaster & Clarke Wine Guide for a party up to 17, and for 18 and over they will be accompanied by a second team member as Tour Manager.
Travel: Meet at Cape TownSole Occupancy: TBC
Deposit: £750.00
Room Upgrade: Please call
South Africa Wine Tour
Outline Itinerary
Day 1. Saturday 15 February: Meet in Cape Town. Comprehensive tasting at Buitenverwachting. Included dinner with wines selected by Wine Guide. Overnight 4* Victoria & Alfred hotel, Cape Town.
Day 2. Sunday 16 February: Visit Altydgedacht Wine Estate. Lunch at Allesverloren. Visit Mullineux Family Wines. Overnight Guest House, Riebeek Kasteel.
Day 3. Monday 17 February: Visit and lunch at Lammershoek wine estate. Non Included dinner,Riebeek. Overnight Guest House, Riebeek Kasteel.
Day 4. Tuesday 18 February: Visit Mont du Toit. Wine Estate lunch at Lemberg. Free time for non-included dinner in Montagu. Overnight 4* hotel, Montagu.
Day 5. Wednesday 19 February: Visit Excelsior. Lunch at De Wetshof. Included dinner, Montagu. Overnight 4* hotel, Montagu.
Day 6. Thursday 20 February: Visit Hamilton Russell & lunch. Afternoon wine visit at Paul Cluver. Travel to Franschhoek. Free time in Franschhoek for dinner. Overnight 4* Guest House, Franschhoek.
Day 7. Friday 21 February: Visit Thelema Mountain wine estate. Lunch at Anthonji Rupert Wines. Free time in Franschhoek. Overnight 4* Guest House, Franschhoek.
Day 8. Saturday 22 February: Visit Annandale Wines in Stellenbosch. Free time in Stellenbosch for lunch. Dinner at Kanonkop Wine Estate. Overnight 4* Guest House, Franschhoek.
Day 9. Sunday 23 February: Visit Beyerskloof. Lunch at Jordan Vineyards. Late afternoon visit to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, with light picnic. Tour ends, transfer to airport (one complimentary transfer from Kirstenbosch to Cape Town Airport to coincide with BA042 flight to London). Opportunity to extend in Cape Town, go on Safari or explore the Garden Route (please call for details of our recommended travel partner).
This tour is sold without flights, which enables you to have maximum flexibility pre and post tour. We have found in the past many of our clients have enjoyed staying on after the tour, and having a flight included restricted this option.
Hotel Details & Upgrade:
Waterfront 4* hotel, Cape Town: This is an ideally located 4* hotel right on the Waterfront with spacious rooms and views over the harbour from the public rooms.
4* Guest House, Riebeek Kasteel In the heart of Riebeek Kasteel, this tranquil guest house sits among mature gardens and has a swimming pool.
Montagu 4* hotel: This hotel is nestled in the foothills of the majestic Langeberg Mountain range in the heart of Montagu. It is renowned for its excellent cuisine served in its elegant restaurant. There is a lovely garden with croquet lawn and boules.
4* Guest House, Franshhoek: This Guest House is a lovingly restored Victorian homestead in the heart of Franschhoek. This boutique guest house offers just 13 rooms all well appointed with tea & coffee making facilities.
Upgrade: As availability of all rooms types at all hotels is very limited, please book early and we will confirm the price according to current availability.
Travel Details
Flights are not included with this tour. There are a number of different operators who fly direct to Cape Town. At the time of writing (April 2013) the following airlines have daily direct flights from London Heathrow – British Airways (www.ba.com) ,Virgin (www.virgin-atlantic.com) and South African Airlines (www.flysaa.com), current price is approximately £900pp return (as of April 2013). British Airways and Virgin also have the option of upgrading to World Traveller Plus on BA or Premium Economy on Virgin as well as the usual Business Class options. There are also indirect flights available with KLM (www.klm.com) and Emirates (www.emirates.com).
If you would prefer us to book your flight for you, we will be happy to do so. We will do this via the airline’s website so the cost will be that which is showing available on the web at time of booking plus a £50 per booking booking fee. Once booked the ticket is non-changeable and non-refundable. The earlier you book the less expensive these flights are likely to be as prices on flights on popular dates tend to increase nearer the date of departure.
Meeting:
We will meet you in Cape Town at 16.30 on Day One of the tour ready to depart for our evening tasting and dinner. On the first day you will not be able to check into the hotel until 14:00, but you can leave your bags with the concierge and enjoy lunch at one of the many restaurants on the waterfront.
Wine Notes...
Click here to read wine notes by Tim Clarke and other guest writers on the wine regions visited.
