A Different Point of View
Frequently overlooked, this is the closest wine route to Cape Town's city centre and airport, and the only one that offers spectacular views of Table Mountain. It was one of the earliest farming areas with the original estates having been granted in 1698. Even today, a number of the farms are still cultivated by families who have owned the land for many generations.
With a diverse group of producers ranging from the traditional to the ultra modern, visitors can experience a full spectrum of wines and other related activities. Some of the best fine dining restaurants as well as informal country kitchens can be found within the region while olive products (including extra virgin olive oil and tapenades) are also produced from locally sourced olives.
The wines are characterised by very intense and often diverse fruit flavours. The flavours of the region's signature grape, Sauvignon Blanc, range from the more tropical gooseberry and litchi to racy green pepper or even herbaceous asparagus. Chardonnays tend to be full of lime and citrus, while the reds are thick with berry components with super skin structure giving soft and elegant tannins. Due to the cool climate of the region the wines are elegant and balanced and extremely food friendly. The wines also have wonderful maturation potential and even the white wines can gain complexity after a year or two in the bottle.
In Durbanville you will encounter a more intimate experience than usual with the winemaker not a stranger to the tasting room. The nature of the people is also a breath of fresh air, they are unassuming, modest, and down to earth – as they would say – just plain farmers.
Click here for more information on the estates and attractions in this area.
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