The Western Cape of South Africa is known for its stunning landscapes, diverse culture, and delicious cuisine. The region boasts some of the top wine farms in Cape Town, as well as many exceptional wineries just outside the boundaries of the city. With a long history of winemaking and a unique climate, wine farms in the Western Cape have become a top destination for wine connoisseurs and enthusiasts alike.
In this blog post, we’ll explore what makes the Western Cape so incredible for growing exceptional wines by looking at elements such as the different regions, the terroir, climate and geology.
How Many Wine Farms Are There in the Western Cape?
There are 560 charming Cape wineries gracing the region, and these vineyards offer a diverse range of wines, from rich reds to crisp whites, inviting visitors to indulge in the art of winemaking against the backdrop of stunning scenery.
Regions
The Western Cape is a large and diverse region with a variety of microclimates that are suitable for different grape varieties for wine farms near Cape Town, as well as a bit further away. From the cool coastal regions to the warmer inland areas, there is a perfect spot for every type of grape on the wine farms in South Africa.
This diversity allows winemakers to experiment with different grape varieties and create unique blends that showcase the best of the region’s terroir. It also means that visitors to wine estates in the Western Cape can experience a wide range of wines, from crisp Sauvignon Blancs to bold Cabernet Sauvignons.
Here are some of the wonderful wine regions located in the Western Cape:
Wine Farms in the Western Cape: Breedekloof
Characterised by vineyards on alluvial valley soils with good drainage, this area covers a large proportion of the Breede River Valley, which includes the Goudini and Slanghoek areas and is made up of a total of 20 wineries.
Wine Farms in the Western Cape: Cape Agulhas
The vineyards in this area are located near Africa’s southernmost point, and the strong cooling winds in summer are ideal for Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Shiraz.
Wine Farms in the Western Cape: Cape Town
This large district incorporates the Constantia, Hout Bay, Durbanville, and Philadelphia areas which all benefit from cool Atlantic sea breezes and very old wine farm soils, where some of the best wine farms in Cape Town are located. Constantia Valley is considered the cradle of winemaking in the Cape, with the oldest wine farm in South Africa being founded in 1685 by Governor Simon van der Stel.
Wine Farms in the Western Cape: Cederberg
This remote area hosts some of the best wine farms that are located in the picturesque Cederberg mountain range, and its high-altitude vineyards, which result in increased colour intensity and firmer tannic structure, are known for Sauvignon, Shiraz, Chardonnay, Chenin, and Cabernet.
Wine Farms in the Western Cape: Darling
This region which is situated only 45 minutes from Cape Town, is known for its exceptional quality Sauvignon Blanc and other wine varieties. The region experiences a notable diurnal temperature range, with warm daytime temperatures giving way to cooler evenings. This fluctuation enables the grapes to cool down overnight, preserving their acidity while simultaneously promoting the development of intricate flavours.
Wine Farms in the Western Cape: Franschhoek
Bordered by mountains on three sides, the valley undeniably possesses stunning natural beauty, and this region also showcases a diverse array of soil compositions, ranging from sandy vineyards reminiscent of beaches to those with rich, deep loams, as well as others characterised by stony and rocky terrain.
Wine Farms in the Western Cape: Klein Karoo
This is a diverse region with extreme soils and climate which is known for sweet wines and potstill brandies but has an increasing focus on Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Shiraz.
Wine Farms in the Western Cape: Malgas
This pioneering ward with drought-resistant Mediterranean varieties is located on a stony plateau near Cape Agulhas, with excellent potential for growing vines, with its dry, warm climate and stony soils.
Wine Farms in the Western Cape: Paarl
Flowing through Paarl, the Berg River is embraced by the impressive Groot Drakenstein and Wemmershoek mountains, serving as the vital lifeline of this wine-producing region. The valley terrain necessitates additional irrigation during the warm growing season leading up to the harvest, whereas vineyards on the eastern slopes, benefiting from superior water retention, often require no supplementary watering at all.
Wine Farms in the Western Cape: Robertson
Renowned for both white and red wines, Robertson district has lime-rich soils and a lower rainfall region. Limestone provides advantageous nutrients to enhance grape growth and promote the production of sweeter grapes. Its unique properties include moisture retention during dry conditions and effective drainage in cooler weather.
Wine Farms in the Western Cape: Stellenbosch
A historic town with a long winemaking tradition, Stellenbosch is famous for its Cape Dutch architecture and excellent wines. It is also an educational and research centre for viticulture and oenology. The hilly landscape, ample rainfall, well-drained soils, and variety of terroirs contribute to the desirability of this sought-after viticultural region.
Wine Farms in the Western Cape: Swartland
Known for its grain production, this district is now home to vineyards that produce robust red wines and port-style wines. The area is named after the indigenous renosterbos, which used to darken the landscape. The Swartland Independent Producers (SIP) group aims to express the region’s unique terroir in their exceptional wines.
Wine Farms in the Western Cape: Tulbagh
Surrounded by mountains, the Tulbagh district has variable soils and extreme day and night temperature differences, which affect the level of warmth within the vineyard. This is likely the most influential factor affecting the wine that will be produced. The valley’s geographical composition creates a cold trap that results in moderately cool daily average temperatures and this area is known for its Shiraz and Méthode Cap Classique wines and has some great wine farms that are near Cape Town.
Wine Farms in the Western Cape: Walker Bay
Located around Hermanus, this district is renowned for its Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinotage wines and the cool climate and persistent ocean winds contribute to the quality of the vineyards. The Hemel-en-Aarde Valley within this region is particularly notable for its great wines.
Wine Farms in the Western Cape: Wellington
Situated close to Cape Town, this district features wineries on alluvial terraces and in the foothills of the Hawequa mountains, and this area not only produces wonderful wines, but is also a key supplier of cuttings to the South African wine industry.
Wine Farms in the Western Cape: Worcester
Worcester is a historic town and the centre of this wine growing valley. The Worcester district holds the top spot as the largest wine growing area in terms of both size and volume, representing close to 20% of the national vineyards. It contributes to nearly 27% of South Africa’s overall wine and spirits production and is renowned as the primary brandy producing region in the country.
Terroir
The Cape’s winegrowing regions, influenced by the Atlantic and Indian oceans, benefit from maritime influences, diverse topography, and varied soils, creating ideal conditions for wines with unique character produced by wine farms in the Western Cape. With a winemaking tradition dating back 350 years, South Africa’s wines beautifully blend Old World elegance with New World fruit-driven styles, expressing the Cape’s unique terroir.
Terroir encompasses natural features that interact to produce specific characteristics of wines; other factors include topography, climate, geology, and soil. South Africa’s Wine of Origin System reflects this concept, emphasising the diversity in vineyard and wine landscapes.
Globally, there is increasing consumer demand for understanding the origin of wines, leading wine producers to focus on identifying and selecting sites best suited to particular grape varieties while adapting clones and rootstocks to local conditions.
The Cape, though within warmer zones, boasts diverse topography and mesoclimatic conditions influenced by two oceans, driving the industry’s emphasis on site selection and adaptation to local conditions.
Climate
South Africa’s viticulture mainly occurs at a latitude of 27-34° south with a Mediterranean climate, featuring cooler conditions ideal for growing noble wine cultivars. The coastal wine growing areas for wine farms in the Western Cape benefit from cool sea breezes, with warm summers and cool winters with little frost. Rainfall is concentrated between May and August, necessitating irrigation due to the diminishing rain in northerly and north-westerly directions.
The Cape’s impressive mountain ranges create diverse mesoclimates for Cape wine farms, interacting with the proximity of the Atlantic and Indian oceans. The legendary south-easterly wind, known as the Cape Doctor, inhibits disease development and moderates temperatures. Sea breezes, influenced by the contrast between cool ocean and warm inland temperatures, frequently occur during the maturation period in February.
Viticultural climate is described on three levels: macroclimate, mesoclimate, and microclimate, which play crucial roles in the expression of terroir. The installation of weather stations in the Western Cape facilitates climatic investigation, particularly regarding the significant contrast between cool ocean and warm inland temperatures, leading to the frequent occurrence of sea breezes during the maturation period.
Geology
The viticulture in South Africa’s Western Cape is situated on some of the oldest viticultural soils globally, shaped by millions of years of geological processes. The region boasts majestic mountain ranges, deep valleys, and diverse mesoclimates as a result of massive pressures, upheavals, and tectonic movements.
The geological landscape features late Precambrian Malmesbury Group schists and shale, folded and uplifted due to tectonic movement, as well as intrusions of Cape Granite Suite plutons around 600 to 500 million years ago. Rigorous folding and uplifting, about 250 million years ago, contributed to the characteristic valleys and folded sandstone mountain ranges of the Cape. Erosion has left sandstone remnants on granitic foothills, creating notable landmarks such as Table Mountain and Simonsberg.
Plutons are dome-shaped intrusions of igneous magma into the Earth’s crust that have been revealed through erosion, resulting in dome-like mountains or hills, such as Paarl and Perdeberg mountains, or flat-topped formations covered by sandstone deposits, such as Table and Simonsberg mountains.
Soil
The soils in the wine regions of South Africa’s Cape display a remarkable diversity, influenced by the area’s topography and geology, which significantly impact mesoclimate and vine performance. Shaped by weather cycles and periods of coastal inundation, the geography of the Western Cape has given rise to a wide variety of soil types over short distances, which are perfect for growing vines.
Wine farms in the Western Cape along the coast, there are sandstone mountains sitting on granite intrusions, surrounded by shale at lower elevations, while moving inland, shale parent material and river deposits predominate. The well-regarded reddish and yellowish brown soils associated with granitic hills and the foothills of sandstone mountains reflect remnants of a past tropical era characterised by high weathering, stability, and good water-holding capacity.
Soils formed on granite in the gently rolling hills between the mountains and the sea exhibit duplex characteristics, comprising coarse sand, gravel, or ferricrete overlaying wet clay. The consistency of vine performance on these soils, coupled with exposure to cool sea breezes, contributes to the production of high-quality wines.
The Malmesbury shale landscapes surrounding granite plutons offer diverse soil types, from stony, weathered residual rock soils on hilltops to strongly structured soils on mid and lower slopes, with vine roots able to exploit the weathered shale substratum.
The three most significant soil types are derived from Table Mountain Sandstone, Granite, and Shale, each possessing distinct physical and nutrient properties that influence vine growth and wine quality.
Topography
The South African vineyard landscapes exhibit diverse and distinctive topography, with sandstone mountains resting on granitic foothills and undulating shale hills, and this topography, closely linked to geology, interacts with climate and soil as a crucial component of the terroir concept. On Wine farms in the Western Cape, altitude, aspect, and slope inclination significantly influence viticulture, impacting grape quality both directly and indirectly.
Vineyards in the Cape span various locations, from valley floors to steep mountain slopes, offering diverse mesoclimates and soils for cultivating different grape varieties. Farmers have expanded plantings to higher elevations for improved drainage and cooler temperatures, with vineyards ranging from 50m to over 600m above sea level. Differences in altitude on a single farm enable the production of varied wine styles or the cultivation of different grape varieties with distinct climate requirements.
In the Southern Hemisphere, cooler southern and eastern slopes are preferred for delicate varieties like Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, while changes in altitude result in varying sun, temperature, and wind exposure. Northern and western slopes receive more sunlight, but eastern slopes warm up faster and cool earlier.
The mountainous terrain of the Cape restricts sunlight hours, with deep shadows cast over vineyards in the early morning and late afternoon, limiting sunlight exposure to around 10 hours even on the longest day of mid-summer for wine farms in Cape Town.
Viticulture
The wine industry in South Africa is currently undergoing a period of dynamic change, with significant innovations occurring in both the vineyard and the winery. Winemakers are actively engaging in experiments involving new vine varieties and clones of existing varietals like Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Comprehensive large-scale research on rootstocks is underway to identify the most suitable planting material for the conditions in the Cape, coordinated by the Vine Improvement Board.
Similar to practices in other New World countries, viticulturists in South Africa are diligently matching vine varieties to specific soils and mesoclimates to achieve optimal results. While the vineyard life in South Africa bears similarities to Europe, the viticultural year in South Africa commences in September, marking a contrast with the European vintage preparations at that time.
On wine farms in the Western Cape, vine management becomes crucial following the formation of buds which necessitates vigilance against pests, diseases, and weed encroachment, and pruning becomes necessary if the vine growth becomes overly vigorous.
Flowering typically occurs in November, with young grapes beginning to swell and grow in December. At this stage, vines are often ‘topped’ to enhance air circulation around the grapes and minimise the risk of fungus or rot.
In January, the onset of summer in the Cape initiates the ripening of early grape varieties, with the bulk of the harvest taking place in February, and the sugar/acid ratio of the grapes is monitored daily to ensure that each variety is harvested at optimum ripeness.
Hand harvesting is predominant in most South African vineyards, although some farms employ machines for this process, and the grapes are picked into baskets and transported in bins to the winery, where the vinification process commences.
HER Wine Collective
The HER Wine Collection is a trailblazing presence in South Africa’s wine industry. As the first wine brand entirely owned and operated by black women, we hold immense pride in every facet of our venture. Whether it’s nurturing vineyards, creating exceptional bottles, or managing production, marketing, and distribution, these tasks are all carried out with love and dedication by black women. We greatly cherish the ability to exchange ideas, inspire one another, and cultivate deeper ties within South Africa’s wonderfully diverse communities.
Wines Available at HER Wines
HER Wine Collection’s Pinotage 2022: This wine makes a lasting impression on the palate with its rich, mature red berry flavours and aromatic, spicy undertones. This is a medium-bodied wine celebrated for its silky tannins.
HER Wine Collection’s Shiraz 2022: Presenting a fusion of deep, dark berry flavours and hints of vanilla and spice, resulting in a captivating, complex wine, this medium-bodied offering exudes depth and leaves a lingering impression on the palate.
HER Wine Sauvignon Blanc 2023: This is a fruity, vibrant crowd-pleaser with hints of passion fruit, pineapple, and lemon, best served chilled.
HER Wine Chenin Blanc 2023: This is a bold, flavourful wine with tropical fruit aromas and flavours of yellow apple, green melon, and white pear that is certain to enchant and impress.
HER Bursary
At the HER Wine Collection, our remarkable team of women understands the challenges that can appear on the path to success in a career. We sympathise with the challenges young individuals face as they chart their own course in the world, sparking our fervour to provide a hand-up. This dedication is exemplified by contributing 2% of our profits to a bursary fund designed to nurture the aspirations of ambitious young minds and empower them to actualise their dreams.
Our exceptional scholarship is only available to candidates from families employed in the vineyards that provide the grapes for the HER Wine Collection. The chosen awardees will not only obtain financial assistance for their education but also gain invaluable mentorship to navigate the complexities of higher education and pursue a rewarding career.
Buy HER Wines
Our exceptional wines can be purchased at a nearby Woolworths store or through Woolworths online, in addition to other retailers nationwide. Stay updated on all the latest developments at the HER Wine Collection by connecting with us on Instagram and Facebook. For further details or inquiries about our exquisite wines, please contact us via email at info@herwinecollection.co.za or by calling 021 873 3170. If you appreciated our blog on wine farms in the Western Cape, explore our other intriguing posts on the HER Blog.