Constantia wine route has to be one of the most beautiful collection of wine farms we’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting. A mere 25 minute drive from Cape Town, Constantia is one of the lesser known wine regions in the Western Cape, yet once you’ve discovered some of these hidden boutique wine farms you’ll wonder how it’s been kept secret for so long!
Constantia Wine Route Stop 1: Klein Constantia
Home of the legendary Vin de Constance, Klein Constantia was our favourite wine estate along the Constantia Wine Route. In our opinion, the wines were some of the best wines we tasted during our visit to Constantia. Of course we rated Vin de Constance, repeatedly rated as one of the best sweet wines in the world and after one sip we agreed! Our other favourites included the Riesling, a dry and zingy example of the grape with plenty of minerality, and Klein Constantia’s Estate Red Blend, packed full of black fruits with smooth, velvety tannins.
Klein Constantia offer a range of wine tasting packages, some including cellar tours or visits to the vineyard at an additional charge. You can opt for either the standard wine tasting at R100 (£6) per person including five tasters or the premium wine tasting at R200 (£12) per person. The premium includes three additional glasses of wine – their MCC (South African sparkling wine) and two single vineyard white wines. If you choose to purchase a bottle of the Vin de Constance (and trust us, you should be walking away with at least one bottle of this amazing sweet wine!), the cost of one tasting fee is waived. Top tip: If you’re planning on buying a bottle of Vin de Constance anyway, you may as well go for the premium tasting.
Your wine tasting experience will take place in Klein Constantia’s stylishly decorated tasting room, where you can sip on their delicious wines whilst admiring some of their larger bottles on display around the room. It is advisable to book ahead especially at weekends as with Klein Constantia’s reputation the tasting room tends to get busy. There are also some special tasting experiences on offer that require booking in advance due to the rarity of some of the wines included.
Opening Hours
Monday to Saturday: 10-5
Sunday: 10-4
Constantia Wine Route Stop 2: Buitenverwachting
As well as having the most difficult to pronounce name, Buitenverwachting (or more simply translated as “Beyond Expectations”) offers a tranquil haven within Constantia’s wonderful wine region. Sit back and relax in the perfectly manicured gardens or under the pergola on the terrace, sipping on delicious wines under the shade of the giant pine trees. In colder months, head inside and curl up beside the roaring fire whiling away several hours sampling various Buitenverwachting wines within the Wine Tasting Centre.
Buitenverwachting offers a less structured tasting that most of the other wine farms on the Constantia wine route. For just R50 (£3) you can choose any 5 wines off the menu, an absolute bargain! Build your own wine tasting based on your favourite wines or ask for a selection of their best wines to sample an assortment of the wide variety of wines produced here.
Home to a more formal restaurant headed up by Edgar Osoijnik serving both rustic and fine dining dishes, Buitenverwachting also offers the option to purchase more casual picnic platters. Perfect for enjoying outside in the African sunshine alongside your wine tasting, select your platter from the Wine Tasting Centre itself and dig into a great selection of cheese, charcuterie and pates. Buitenverwachting operates on a first come, first served basis at their Wine Tasting Centre, so its best to arrive relatively early, especially during sunny, summer weekends else you’ll be searching for a space to relax.
Opening Hours
Monday to Saturday: 10-5
Sunday: Closed
Constantia Wine Route Stop 3: Constantia Glen
Constantia Glen has some of the most picturesque views within Constantia Valley. Nestled between Table Mountain and Constantiaberg this boutique wine farm produces some top quality bottles and is a truly magical location for a spot of wine tasting.
An ideal place to stop for a relaxed lunch, Constantia Glen serves mouth wateringly good flammkuchen (the lamb, feta, chimichurri and tomato one is divine!) and generous cheese and charcuterie platters. Relax outside on the terrace taking in views of the vineyards and mountains beyond whilst trying some of the Constantia Glen range alongside your food. Book ahead and request a table outside to secure a seat with the best views at this popular lunch destination.
Constantia Glen has a range of wine tasting options ranging from R50 (£3) to R90 (£5.50) per person, dependent on your preference. Choose from the classic collection showcasing their most popular wines, a red or white grape centred tasting, or a tasting comprised of their ‘affordable’ range.
Opening Hours
Sunday to Friday: 10-5
Saturday: 10-8
Constantia Wine Route Stop 4: Groot Constantia
Known for being the oldest wine farms in South Africa, Groot Constantia is the most famous of the wineries along the Constantia wine route. Also well known for their sweet wine, Grand Constance, one of Napoleon’s favourite wines, Groot Constantia have also received global recognition for their 2013 Chardonnay.
Although well worth a visit to take in the heritage of Groot Constantia, the wine farm is most structured to cater for larger tour groups that often frequent this historic winery as part of a wider Cape Town tour. Despite the lovely staff who will serve you, Groot Constantia wine tasting is a much more efficient and less personalised affair. On entering the large hall visitors queue to purchase a wine tasting ticket, receive a number and take a seat at one of several long trestle tables.
That being said, Groot Constantia does offer an intriguing chocolate and wine pairing which takes you through both white and reds, matching a range of flavoured white, milk and dark chocolates. We were biased towards the red pairings, especially the blackberry milk chocolate and Pinotage and morello cherry dark chocolate and Reserve Red pairings, both were utterly delicious. This wine and chocolate pairing costs R125 (£7) per person including five wines, five chocolates and a souvenir crystal wine glass with Groot Constantia’s logo etched on the front to take home, which is a lovely touch.
Opening Hours
Monday to Sunday: 10-5
Key Information about the Constantia Wine Route
How many vineyards are there in Constantia Valley?
There are nine lovely wine estates along the Constantia wine route, all perched within Constantia Valley, offering amazing views and of course delicious wines. We visited four during our day exploring Constantia however if we’d have more time we would have loved to visit some of the other vineyards. The two others we wished we’d had time to visit were Beau Constantia and Eagle’s Nest, they both came highly recommended but let us know below if there’s any others you’d recommend! If you’ve got three days in Cape Town you might be able to squeeze in a few more amongst all the other fun things to do.
What is the best way to explore the Constantia wine route?
For full freedom over which vineyards to visit, and a boot to fill with wine, the best way to explore Constantia wine route is by car. Hire cars in South Africa come fairly cheap, often working out cheaper than two or more people joining a guided tour, and can be collected either at the airport or downtown Cape Town for convenience. Of course this does mean you need a designated driver which might be difficult with so many wines to drink along the way!
For a more relaxing way to explore Constantia, there are several companies that offer a full day Constantia wine tour, either as part of a group or with a pricier private tour guide. Transportation to and from your hotel, wine tastings and lunch are all organised for you, all you need to do is turn up and enjoy some of the great Constantia wines on offer. The one thing to note is that with group tours you will not often get a choice in which vineyards you visit, so it might be worth the extra cost of a private tour should there be a winery you’re particularly keen on seeing.
Should you wish to save some money (and spend this money on wine instead), you can choose to take the Constantia Valley Wine Bus, run by the red City Sightseeing buses you can spot in every tourist destination worldwide. Opening up the Constantia wine region to more tourists, the wine bus is available as part of all the City Sightseeing South African packages. The classic package starts at R200 (£12) per person, per day including four different tour loops around Cape Town. The Constantia Valley Wine Bus runs between four of the Constantia wine farms – Constantia Nek, Groot Constantia, Eagle’s Nest and Beau Constantia – every 20 minutes.
Where is the best place to eat on the Constantia wine route?
Picking the best restaurants in Constantia is a very difficult decision as several of the wine farms are also home to cracking restaurants with chefs making use of breathtaking settings and excellent wines on offer. Well regarded snazzy La Colombe, part of Silvermist wine estate, and Chefs Warehouse at Beau Constantia with insane views were both on our list to try during our visit although unfortunately neither are open on a Monday so we missed out this time! Outside of the restaurants within the Constantia wine farms, there’s just one restaurant also in Constantia Valley to know about – Foxcroft.
Where is the best place to stay on the Constantia wine route?
There are a few boutique hotels dotted around Constantia Valley, where you’ll be minutes away from Constantia’s magnificent wine farms. Our top picks in the region include 14 on Klein Constantia, a family run, adults only guest house with just five luxury suites, or Nova Constantia, a boutique residence complete with spa, tennis courts and swimming pool.
As Constantia wine route is such a short drive from downtown Cape Town, most visitors to the wine farms tend to stay in their accommodation in Cape Town instead of relocating out to Constantia. You can also stay in the picturesque Camps Bay area, a 25 minute drive from Constantia Valley, should you wish to be beside this beautiful beach.
Find Out More…
Klein Constantia – http://www.kleinconstantia.com
Buitenverwachting – http://www.buitenverwachting.com
Constantia Glen – http://www.constantiaglen.com
Groot Constantia – https://www.grootconstantia.co.za
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