South Africa's Cape Winelands

     An hour's drive northeast of Cape Town is some of the most sublime countryside to be found anywhere in the world - a land of high mountains and green valleys, of vineyards and scented orchards, heavy with a mellow fruitfulness. Historic towns and villages, and gracious homesteads that represent the very best in Cape Dutch architecture, are also to be found here in this region known as the Cape Winelands, an area that produces wines as notable as its scenic beauty.

     These were the first rural areas to be taken over by the early white colonists of South Africa, who turned the land over to pasture, the growing of wheat and increasingly, the cultivation of wine grapes. As the farms prospered, the colony expanded and a number of small towns were founded: Stellenbosch in 1679, Franschhoek 11 years later, followed by Paarl, Wellington and Tulbagh, all worth visiting for their history, beauty and award winning wine estates.