It should be in the constitution that there are other activities that can be done with your significant other apart from going to the movies, clubbing and dinner when on vacation.
Exploring winelands is one of the underappreciated and underrated activities, over the years, as more people are beginning to love the world of wine, they’ve been more interested in learning the process. South Africa has become one of the most visited destination in Africa, with numerous fun activities – beaches, theme parks, museums, wine tours – to boast about.
Wine tourism in South Africa has become one of the most interesting sector in tourism, generating over R5 billion and also creating employment opportunities. South Africa has an array of wine activities to choose from – wine tasting, picnic lunch and dinners, wine tram tour and wine festivals.
WINE TASTING
Vineyards, vineyards, vineyards!! Vineyards are always the go- to for wine tasting, but restaurants have now found its way to enter that segment I.e. The Table, Franschhoek Kitchen, Fryndraai Restaurant, Readers restaurant and many more. As for vineyards, Tokara prides itself on making wines that are specific to three wine producing regions and offers a gallery of fine art and Jordan Wine Estate offers wine tasting packages and experience that includes sips from Chameleon range wines, Estate varietals, Reserve wines, Bradgate, Jardin label and so much more.
If you would love to taste the South Africa’s produced wines, look out for Methode Cap Classique, sparkling wine similar to Champagne or the Pinotage, a red wine made from a grape that is a mix of Cinsaut and Pinot Noir
Here are some of the tips to make sure you have an incredible time on your wine tasting adventure – book tastings beforehand, be open to trying new wines, do not drink coffee, gum or lemon water right before wine tasting, it ruins the taste.
PICNIC LUNCH/DINNERS
Picnics are the best things to do during the summer time, you get to sit down and reflect without worrying about the cold.
Picnics have become really popular amongst wine farms. Boschendal wine farm boasts some of the best picnic spots around, the wine farm recently launched 2 new picnic experiences – Rose Garden Picnic with amazing views of the mountains , exhibition vineyards, the Rhone Homestead, the Cellar Door and picnic baskets that include food made from the natural farm produce and Werf Farm Picnic with hammocks, bean bags and giving guests the opportunity to bring their blankets, chair and tables to enjoy the and acres of scenic gardens, the new jungle gym and child care services enabling the younger one to create their own memories while the adults enjoy their time on tasting tours. On the countryside, Budmarsh Country Lodge in Johannesburg, in which everything is arranged for you.
WINE TRAM TOUR
You might not want to sit around with bae at a picnic, sipping wine and eating, that’s fine. You can be adventurous enough to go on the wine tram tour. The Franschhoek Wine Tram hop- on hop-off tour is one of the best ways to discover Franschhoek Valley – scenic vineyards, breath-taking scenery, warm hospitality, world-class cuisine and fine wines. Located in the Groot Drakenstein Mountains, the Franschhoek Wine Route is considered South Africa’s gourmet capital.
Franschhoek translates to “French Corner”, and the entire region has hints of its French beginnings, and you will experience an extensive French influence in the wine making. You can have a top-notch experience as you go through the vineyards in an open side tram and open-air tram bus viewing some of South Africa’s oldest and most distinguished wine estates. At each stop, there are activities offered to passengers i.e. wine tasting, lunch, a stroll through the vineyards.
WINE FESTIVALS
At food and wine festivals in South Africa, there are arrays of life changing taste buds’ experiences – from munching on world beating cheese, to fresh fruits and vegetables and Karoo lambs, seafood and venison to sipping hundreds of the country’s finest and tastiest wines. The best part of it all is that the festivals are seasonal and usually happens all year round in different cities. Around the holiday period, the most popular festivals are the RMB Wine Festival, Sandton and Summer Wine Festival, Johannesburg going from 25th to 27th of October and 4th of November respectively. At wine festivals, there are over 60 wine producers presenting more than 400 wines and associated products – reds, whites, bubblies, brandies, craft gins and so much more. This is the perfect activity for couples as they can eat all sorts and get drunk on wine and love.
