Cape Town
South Africa's Mother City and the gateway to the Cape winelands, with the historic Constantia vineyards within the city itself.
About Cape Town
Founded on 6 April 1652 as a Dutch East India Company resupply station beneath Table Mountain, Cape Town is South Africa's oldest city and the natural gateway to the Cape's wine country. While Stellenbosch and Franschhoek lie inland, the city harbours its own storied vineyards in the Constantia valley on its cool southern slopes — home to Klein Constantia, whose legendary Vin de Constance dessert wine was prized by European courts in the 18th and 19th centuries. Today Constantia is celebrated for that revived sweet wine as well as elegant, maritime-influenced Sauvignon Blanc and other whites. Beyond the vineyards, Cape Town offers Table Mountain, ocean-fringed drives, a vibrant restaurant culture and easy access to the wider Winelands, making it the classic starting point for any South African wine journey.
Practical details
Wine tourism notes
Cape Town is the gateway to the entire Cape winelands, but it also holds its own vineyards in Constantia on its southern flank — the oldest wine estate in the Southern Hemisphere, historically famed for its sweet Vin de Constance dessert wine and today also for cool-climate whites.
Regional cuisine
A cosmopolitan food city where Cape Malay curries, bredies and bobotie meet fresh Atlantic seafood, braai culture and a thriving fine-dining scene, all backed by the historic Constantia wines just south of the city.
Canonical attractions
- Table Mountain and the cableway
- the V&A Waterfront
- the Constantia wine valley
- Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope
Editorial notes
Use Cape Town as your arrival base; the Constantia estates are a 20-30 minute drive from the city centre, while Stellenbosch and Franschhoek are under an hour away.