Bespoke Private Cape Winelands Tour with Leading Wine Expert

Bespoke Private Cape Winelands Tour with Leading Wine Expert

We are Five Star Guides - a consortium of elite guides to the Western Cape, South Africa.  There’s no such thing as a ‘rote’ or standard wine tour with wine specialist Fiona McDonald: the the tour changes – sometimes on the fly – according to your specific interests. Of necessity and also because of the wealth of wineries in the area, tours focus on Stellenbosch, South Africa’s largest and most prominent wine region but we also visit lesser-known districts like the Hemel en Aarde Valley.

That 350+-year history, allied with a vibrant and dynamic modern generation of winemakers makes South Africa one of the most exciting wine regions in the world to visit. Local producers are respecting a classical ethos while also playing to their strengths, these being dynamism, diversity of soils and people and harnessing venerable old vines to make thrilling new wines.

09h30 Pick up at your hotel anywhere in the Western Cape

10h30 Visit to your first wine estate/vineyard/wine producer - at this time in the morning, we normally focus on the lighter wines, perhaps the sparkling wines of Cape Point Vineyards.  Fiona will introduce the estate to you and then there will be an opportunity to taste the wines available.

11h30 Visit to your second wine estate/vineyard/wine producer - your second stop is normally accompanied by a private tour of a component of wine making (e.g. a cellar, a vineyard) by a professional from a particular vineyard.  Opportunity for tasting.

13h00 Lunch stop - we choose restaurants of particularl reknown in the local wine industry, those where chef and sommelier have a particularly good relationship, and/or where a tasting menu is offered.

14h00 Visit to a scenic part of the Winelands - where exactly we'll go depends on where we'll do the final tasting for the day but very often the Helshoogte Pass between Stellenbosch and Franschhoek is chosen or the Bainskloof Pass near Wellington.

15h30 Third and final visit to wine estate/vineyard/wine producer - our third stop is where we focus on heavier wines, such as ports, reds and red blends.  A popular choice is the award-winning Hartenberg Estate.

17h00 Drop off back at your hotel, anywhere it the Western Cape