Your personal Travel Host will meet you at Cape Town International Airport and escort you to your chauffeured luxury vehicle. Your party will then be transported in style to Franschhoek, the historic and gastronomic heart of the Cape Winelands.
On arrival at your private villa, enjoy welcome cocktails. Then settle in to alfresco dining with an authentic South African braai, courtesy of a private chef.
Fresh breakfast will be prepared for you at Paloma Villa. Enjoy free leisure time to sleep in and rest before exploring this historic town, where persecuted French Huguenots found refuge in the late 17th century. Take in historic sites such as the Huguenot monument and museum, or stroll Huguenot Street visiting the boutique stores. Enjoy a relaxed lunch at a charming café of your choice.
Back at the villa, enjoy a siesta or relax poolside. Our advice: eat light at lunch — in the evening you will experience a multi-course dinner and wine pairing at an award-winning Franschhoek restaurant.
Now begins your magical wine tasting journey in South Africa's oldest and most famous region. Enjoy a leisurely tasting at Capensis estate vineyard, Fijnbosch ("fin-BOSCH"), named after the Dutch settlers' term for the natural vegetation of the area — "fine bush" or "fine woods." Nearly 20 acres of Chardonnay are planted in clay soils on the high-elevation, steep terrain of the Groot Drakenstein mountains in the Banghoek Valley.
Following lunch at a local historic winery, you will visit Oldenburg Vineyards, nestled in an elevated valley of outstanding beauty, down a winding road that leads deep into the Banghoek Valley. Their artisan wines are driven by uniqueness of place, combining regenerative farming and precision viticulture. Here you will enjoy a cellar tour and barrel tasting. You will have dinner at a local fine dining restaurant.
Today, your Travel Host takes you north to the Swartland, renowned for world-class Chenin Blanc and Syrah — and olives. Arrive to a welcome glass of Cap Classique sparkling wine at Kloovenburg Wine and Olive Estate against breathtaking views, followed by an olive grove tour and wine tasting. Set in the old wine cellar, the tasting room is as beautiful as the olives and wines are delicious.
After a Mediterranean-inspired lunch, you will head to Mullineux for a tasting and private tour of Roundstone Farm, where the world-renowned producers define Syrah and Chenin Blanc through the lens of the Swartland appellation. Back in Franschhoek, enjoy downtime before dinner at a beloved bistro owned by a popular South African TV chef.
Today, your party departs Franschhoek and travels south toward the coast, stopping at Gabrielskloof, where fine wines reflect the complexity, richness and diversity of a unique terroir. Indulge in several wines from their Landscape Series — routinely featured in critics' top selections — before a fresh, seasonal lunch at the winery restaurant.
In the afternoon, you will visit Beaumont Family Vineyard, home to the region's oldest wine cellar, established in the 1700s by the Dutch East India Company. Beaumont specializes in Chenin Blanc, Pinotage and Mourvèdre. Then you'll be whisked to the South Coast, driving alongside beautiful dunes to your lagoon-facing private villa.
The week culminates in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, famed for Burgundian-style Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. You'll begin at Newton Johnson Family Vineyards, in the upper valley near the seaside town of Hermanus, followed by a sumptuous lunch at the winery restaurant.
Your afternoon will be spent at Hamilton Russell Vineyards, tasting wines from their elegant portfolio. Ushering a spectacular week of wine tasting to a close, you'll be treated to cocktails on the beach before a gourmet dinner in the comfort of your private villa.
A day entirely your own. Take to the lagoon by kayak or speed boat, cycle the reserve's trails, laze by the heated pool — or simply watch the light change over the water with a glass of the week's favourite discovery in hand.
Enjoy a farewell breakfast at your private villa before being chauffeur-driven to Cape Town's famed V&A Waterfront, with time to explore before lunch at an exclusive restaurant taking in exquisite views. Your Travel Host will then escort you to Cape Town International Airport in your luxury chauffeur-driven transfer.
Hamba kakuhle — until the next vintage!