Thanks to its convenient location a mere 20 minutes from Cape Town, the wine-producing Constantia has become the Mother City’s unofficial backyard vineyard. This lush valley is home to the country’s oldest wine estates and Cape Town’s oldest suburb.
With a history dating back over 300 years, the Constantia Valley is the birthplace of the South African wine industry. The region is packed with several award-winning estates offering daily wine tours and tastings. But the nectar from the gods isn’t all Constantia’s vineyards, and Cape Dutch houses have to offer. Here you can also dine on fine cuisine at Silvermist Wine Estate’s celebrated La Colombe restaurant. Or, you can practice your swing at Steenberg’s 18-hole golf course. If you prefer something more low-key, combine a spa day with some sauvignon blanc at Constantia Uitsig.
It is, however, pointless to visit Constantia without trying a tipple. The region is especially renowned for its white wines and dessert wines. Be sure to taste Klein Constantia’s Vin de Constance (previously known as Muscat Capp Constantia), a dessert wine that enjoyed international popularity in the 18th and 19th century and was a favourite of Jane Austen, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Charles Dickens.
Highlights
1. Conveniently located a mere 20 minutes outside Cape Town
2. Home to South Africa’s oldest wine estate (Groot Constantia) and to Cape Town’s oldest suburb
3. The region’s sauvignon blanc and dessert wines are especially unmissable
4. La Colombe at Silvermist Wine Estate was voted one of the world’s 50 best restaurants by San Pellegrino
5. Steenberg Wine Estate includes a hotel and an 18-hole golf course
6. Combine a spa day with a wine tasting at Constantia Uitsig