Few wine countries have such a dramatic contemporary history as South Africa. And few countries have seen such a steep rise in wine quality. Looking at the statistics, South Africa is still dominated by dependable volume wines (which sells well on export), but taking a closer look you will find a wine country bubbling with creativity, pioneering spirit and very skilled winemaking.
If one observes the country from afar it is also easy to focus on the handful of famous names, which have created an international reputation for South Africa as a quality wine producer. This is quite a small group of producers who with talent and skilful marketing have built the reputation of South African as a source for quality wines. You probably already know the handful of names that I refer to.
But if you limit yourself to these internationally renowned producers, well known in many countries, you’ll probably miss the best and the most exciting! There are many winemakers with great talent that have not achieved international fame yet, and they are perhaps the most exciting, the ones looking for the best soils, the appropriate grapes and the perfect microclimates. These are the ones that you can discover when you go there, if you are travelling with the right people.
But South Africa is of course so much more than wine. You will find a delicious gastronomy here, with the famous barbecue, the braai, and a mix of traditional African food and international fusion. Have you ever tasted Kudu for example? Cape Town is a fascinating metropolis located in the shadow of the very odd Table Mountain. A breathtakingly beautiful coastal road leads out to the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point, surrounded by one of the world’s most species-rich flora. And so on. There is a lot to discover.
Here are some comments on our exploration of South Africa’s wine districts and landscapes, from some who have travelled with us here before.
On the wine tour to South Africa:
Many thanks for a well-planned trip to South Africa. Excellent vineyards, delicious wines, great lunches and nice company. Add to this, magnificent scenery and radiant weather. What more could one wish for?
— G & B
On the wine tour to South Africa:
Thank you Britt and Per for a truly amazing wine tour, it left our safari in the dust. All of these wonderful places we visited, interesting people we met and lots of good wines and good food. Still feeling a little wine marinated so tonight I’m going to try Juhlin’s alcohol-free bubbly that was just launched recently. Best wishes!
— Eva R
(Perhaps I should add that the safari mentioned above was not the one organised by BKWine which can be selected as an addition to the wine tour, but it was a safari arranged by someone else. We can promise you that our own safari extension is not left in any dust, this goes for both animals and nature, and of course for wine and food. It is just extraordinary. Albeit it can be a bit dusty on the safari.)
On the wine tour to South Africa:
Thank you Britt & Per for an intense and exciting trip! We are impressed by the ambitious program and all the wonderful people we have met thanks to your program. South Africa is definitely an awesome destination. We will never forget the Saronsberg wines, the view from Oldenburg and the history of the land at Solms Delta! It will be exciting to follow the quality development of the South African wines, not least the local grapes chenin blanc & pinotage! We already look forward to our next wine tour with you!
— Ann & Pär
On the wine tour to South Africa:
Thank you for a very rewarding trip in South Africa’s wine districts under your knowledgeable leadership. It offered many extraordinary experiences and was well organized to the smallest detail. The local guide provided interesting information about the country, its nature and social conditions, etc. and entertained us with small talk.
The vineyard visits were so many and so fun that it has taken some time to digest the impressions. It was also the case that almost all producers had very personal ideas of how to make a good wine. The selection of vineyard visits was a total success. We are glad that we could buy and try Nelson’s Pinotage, which was so good that, according to the winemaker, it is no longer produced. Behind Teddy Hall’s town-walk “show” was also a skilled work with wonderful wines. Boekenhoutskloof and Bruwer Raats were really something extra.
There is much more that will remain for long in memory. We have come to realize that South Africa can produce really fine wines and with great variety. The spontaneous interruptions of the MCC on the beach and on the terrace of Dieu Donné were very successful. Not forgetting all the delicious food! We really appreciated the lunches and dinners. It gave us some very enjoyable interaction with the other travellers and some very good food and wine which we certainly could not have arranged on our own.
— Björn & Agneta
Here you can read even more reviews about what our travellers think about our wine tours.
If you are interested in discovering South Africa, the wine regions, the exciting wines, the amazingly good food, then you should come on a wine tour to South Africa with us at BKWine!
