There are many locals who overlook the valley when it comes to venturing into the wine lands. It therefore comes as no surprise that international visitors also miss the opportunity to enjoy this special place. In many ways this is surprising as the valley is close and easily accessible. The Stellenbosch route is extremely popular, however this often results in the smaller gems being kind of neglected.
With the recent addition of the Cape Town Wine Safari excursion, it has become even more convenient to enjoy the small but incredibly diverse wineries that quietly over deliver a great cellar door experience in Durbanville.
The Cape Town Wine Safaris is ingenious in its simplicity! They collect guests at central points including the Waterfront and transport them in a safari vehicle that is classic and timeless. They have also partnered up with Golden Cape Tours which has an equally ingenious range of experiences. Their most popular offering is an up close and personal tour that includes a vineyard tour, a nature walk and an exclusive tasting of a range of diverse wines from the valley. Guests are treated to a glass of award winning bubbly on the first leg while they learn about the history and wine making dynamics of Durbanville by their host Trevor Gray.
This experience includes a short nature walk along the contour path which is fascinating as it embraces the remaining vestiges of the endangered Renoster veld and old dryland bush vines. Soaring raptors are often spotted as they patrol from the dizzying heights.
The walk is concluded and all the guests then clamber back onboard for the final leg of the experience. The spectacular views of the peninsula are a fitting backdrop as the guests enjoy a selection of the finest wines from the valley perched high on Kanonberg with a purpose built tasting platform. The wines selected are diverse and offer a sense of place and a preview of what the valley offers. To add to the experience, vineyard platters offer the opportunity of nourishment while enjoying the independent selection of wines curated by the host.
Depending on the season and the group, the wines to be enjoyed can include bubbles, white and rose’ wines or even stand – alone reds, the only criteria is that the wines need to be of high quality and are invariably award recognized. The wines selected are from Bloemendal, De Grendel, Diemersdal, Durbanville Hills, Nitida, Klein Roosboom, and others from the valley.
The experience can either be a day trip lasting 3 to 4 hours or a Sundowner experience geared toward enjoying great wines and a memorable sunset.
If guests choose the day option, they then have the flexibility to either use the hop on/hop off facility offered by Cape Town Wine Safaris, or to request a lunch recommendation and reservation from the owner Armand Smith. The vehicles run from winery to winery at regular intervals so one has the perfect scenario to visit all the wineries. This is however unlikely as there will not be enough time to do so! Either way you are guaranteed a truly memorable experience. The day is rounded off by returning the guests to their pick up points.
The safari vehicles run daily (except Monday as most wineries are closed) and the Valley wine experience/Sundowner is by booking only. Group bookings are encouraged and recognized with a package price (8-10 pax on)
The Cape Town Wine Safari charges a very modest R300 for the excursion and if you book a Valley Wine Experience the total cost will include the transport segment.
The full Valley experience is R1295 per person and the Sundowner is a reasonable R595 which includes the entire offering. Restaurant meals are however not included, though the delectable vineyard platters are. Special arrangements and catering are available such as Sushi and white wines by prior arrangement.
As mentioned previously this is an exclusive offer and a wonderful opportunity to enjoy this wonderful area, so why not Be My Guest!
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