If you are planning to spend any time in Cape Town, I highly recommend visiting the Cape Winelands just 45 minutes outside the city. Here is home to some of the most prestigious wineries on the planet-producing wines like the Pinotage (a hybrid grape of Pinot Noir and Cinsaunt) and their version of sparkling wine, but extremely affordable compared to the wine we know as Champagne. The two areas that are most talked about in regards to where to stay and taste are Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, which are right next to each other making it really easy to visit both in just a few days. Kelly and I stayed at the Grande Provence in Stellenbosch which is an estate that actually has their own vineyard on the grounds and also a Cheetah outreach program where you can have an encounter with the animals (more to come on that topic later)! I would not even begin to be able to compare the wine tasting experience to somewhere like Napa Valley, California due to the intimacy and uniqueness of each and every estate we visited for tasting. The atmosphere is seemingly upscale, yet casual, while the wine is exceptional. We were once again shocked at the prices per bottle here because of how inexpensive they are compared to places in France, Spain, and the United States. One winery which is highly recommended due to its reputation of having the best views in the area is Delaire Graff. The views did not disappoint, while overlooking mountains and the winelands as the sun was shining perfectly off of the backdrop of the extremely green trees. Kelly and I scheduled lunch at this estate because a famed jeweler Laurence Graff transformed this natural setting into a world class destination for wine, art, food, and the best of accommodations. While toasting to our trip with some sparkling wine, it was a perfect location to relax and indulge all of our senses. https://www.delaire.co.za/ Next up, we stopped at Boschendal, one of the Western Cape’s oldest wine farms that focus on everything being farm to table. The vibe here is much more relaxed, with the tastings being held under the large oak trees and an open air concept . The wine was so great, I think we lost count on how many glasses we drank and bottles we bought. https://www.boschendal.com/ Key tip: shipping wine from anywhere is very expensive-sometimes almost double the cost of the wine itself. It would be wise to buy an extra suitcase if you plan on buying more than just a few bottles to bring home. Kelly and I each shoved 4-5 bottles in our suitcases and prayed they didn’t break on the flight home! Last but not least, was our stop at Babylonstoren in Stellenbosch for numerous sights they boast about, and now we know why. This is a Dutch farm set at the foot of the Stellenbosch wine valley that includes a massive garden, farm hotel, two restaurants and a bakery, a spa, olive oil, tea, and wine farm, and an adorable shop to bring home a piece of this heaven. We were able to have lunch in their greenhouse where everything is served picnic style and the smells of fresh bread from the wood-fired oven are intoxicating. https://babylonstoren.com/ There are so many more wineries that we would have loved to see, but time did not permit. The few I have listed satiated our taste for the wine and food from the region no doubt! The outfitter we used for all of our African adventures helped set up these tours for us and could not have done a better job! I will leave a link here for you to check them out! https://www.rothschildsafaris.com/
Grande Provence Wine Room 
Delaire Graff Estate 
Sunset over the winelands 