South African Wine Destination Stellenbosch
South African Wine Destination Stellenbosch is also known as a tourist, wine, business and educational destination in South Africa. Stellenbosch American Express Wine Road is one of the six biggest tourist attractions in the country. On our South African journey, we drove to Stellenbosch and along the oldest street in the country, which has spectacular views. We also visited different wineries, where we pampered our taste buds.
For our journey, we chose the travel agency called, Cape by Design Tours. The owner, Jacqui showed us the beautiful landscape of South Africa and quite a few wineries. She picked us up in front of our apartment (The Residences Apartments) and the adventure began. We drove to three well-known vine areas: Franschhoek, Paarl and of course Stellenbosch, where we spend the night at Lanzerac Wine Estate.
Stellenbosch is less than an hour away from the beautiful Cape Town city. The town lies in the Jonkershoek River Valley, one of the most picturesque areas, surrounded by mountains Stellenbosch, Jonkershoek, and Simonsberg. History of Stellenbosch goes back to 1679, when a Dutchman Simon van der Stel, named the town Stellenbosch. Fertile soil and favorable climate were suitable for the cultivation of vegetables. They stocked the ships, which sailed past the Cape of Good Hope. Because sailors also wanted good wine, they planted the vines all around the country. Specialists in wine production made Stellenbosch wines, one of the top quality wines in the world.
In the town, people built cute houses, coated with white facades and planted oak trees near the streets. That is why the city is also called Eikestad – the city of oaks. In 1918 the first university of Stellenbosch was built, which is now an internationally recognized educational center and one of the leading universities in the African continent. In 1971 Stellenbosch became the first wine region in South Africa, which has established a wine route, as an organized network of cellars, at which tourists can taste the wines. Wine Road has turned a new leaf in 2002 when American Express established Stellenbosch American Express – a coordinated network of more than 152 wineries. Of course, each winery offers a unique experience, so it is good if you have a few days to enjoy it.
We made our way to visit a few wineries, including Tokara, Fairview, Dieu Donne and we spend the night in one of the most prestigious hotels in the world, Lanzerac Hotel & Spa. It was a beautiful day full of unforgettable memories and we would recommend it to everyone who is visiting this part of South Africa.
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