‘Drinking in moderation’ with Constantia Wine Route

When you are in Cape Town, it would be sinful if you didn’t go to a wine tasting and include the Constantia wine route in your plans. It is definitely worth the short detour. 

As one of the country’s oldest wine regions, Constantia has captured the imagination of wine lovers across the world. Established in 1685, the quality of Constantia wines is recognised globally and it is now compliant with a board of trustees or governors.

Originally established as one of the original Cape farms, the wine route is now divided into just nine, premium estates – Beau Constantia, Buitenverwachting, Constantia Glen, Constantia Royale, Eagles Nest, Groot Constantia, Klein Constantia, Silvermist and Steenberg. Collectively, the farms have over 421 hectares of vineyard, of which 180 hectares are planted with Sauvignon Blanc.

Eagles Nest

Taking it all in parts of Constantia Wine Route, our first stop was Eagles Nest, the smaller one of the wine farms that offer quality and not quantity, Du Toit Hoffman tell us. 

His passion for wine is evident as he lights up every time he talks about Eagle Nest vinos, informing us that the process of picking the grapes starts from January to April. Riding along in a classic 4×4 Land Rover during a chilly and wet Western Cape the views, the land blossoming of grapes, and silver trees still offered amazing views of Constantia.

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Hoffman says Eagles Nest sells about 100,000-150,000 litres a year of wine a year, their Merlot has received numerous accolades, and their Merlot 2016 was bottled for 18 months in maturation. 

We first savoured Eagles Nest rose which was crisp and light, a perfect way to start our morning as we headed down to a warmer setting. The wine tasting included a Viognier an aromatic white which would be beautifully paired with spicy dishes and game meat.

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Notes include potpourri, jasmine flower and spice. Their reds, the Merlot 2016 and Shiraz were quite detectable, velvety and could definitely convert a white wine lover like myself into red wine. A top choice. 

Buitenverwachting

The next stop in our wine adventure was Buitenverwachting Tasting Room to meet owner Lars Maack, who during the introduction had a great dry sense of humour. Originally from Germany, he took over the wine farm in 1990 at the age of 23 from his father. Not a fan of wine when he started, nor have the knowledge, he quickly engaged with winemakers to soak up as much information as he could to rebuild Buitenverwachting.

Maack had a simple approach, not taking up everything said by wine experts but rather listening to what consumers would like and trusting his own taste buds. 

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This has been a winner for them, as their wine wins you over with its personality even for a non-wine drinker. The white wines we tasted beautifully sat on the palette, offering crisp and fresh full-body tastes because where the farm sits, the coldest most south-facing of the vineyards. 

For those who like their liquor sweeter, the Buitenverwachting’s 1769 sweet wine or dessert wine has been voted the best sweet wine in the country three times and is understandable in its taste. With ripe apricot, melon, fynbos, almond and apple-like notes it’s a keeper for special occasions.   

Buitenverwachting also has a restaurant and a coffee shop, offering quaint artisanal products. 

Groot Constantia

Now if you want a visitor and tourist experience then Groot Constantia could be your preferred option for a tasting room. It’s the biggest vineyard on the Constantia route and shows in the vastness of the wine tasting experience and in the building. 

Despite its large-scale operations, Groot Constantia still makes all the wine themselves. One of the many interesting facts shared during our tour is that Napolean used to love their dessert wines so much that he would buy 30 bottles every month in 1720. The tour is educational, as it guides you through a step-by-step process of making wine from the grain, toasting and the importance of the barrel (maturation) which all vineyards import from France. 

A common theme throughout the Constantia Wine Route is the sense of community and making good quality wine. And with the amount of wine we consumed on the day, it was surprising we wanted more.