The tourist mecca of Cape Town is far more than merely beaches, babes and table-top mountains: there is a historic wine route 20 minutes from the heart of the Mother City, which is a true delight for the connoisseurs and weekend warriors alike.

The pristine Constantia Valley contains eight fantastic wine farms that have filled the cups of the British Royal House, Napoleon Bonaparte, Louis Philippe of France, Frederick II (The Great) of Prussia, the Lords Seventeen of the VOC, governors and thirsty admirals.

The region is blessed with a perfect climate for winemaking, set in a majestic valley with fertile soil and cool breezes from the Atlantic Ocean that maintain suitable temperatures all-year round – making for rich, easy drinking wines.

It is little wonder that former governor of the Cape Simon van der Stel handpicked this area for wine production over 300 years ago. Indeed, most experts still agree that Van der Stel’s choice was ideal, and could not be bettered with modern technologies.

Van der Stel is thought to have named the region after Constantia van Goens, granddaughter of the Dutch East India official who had agreed to grant him the farm.

The original farm of Groot Constantia was subdivided years later to include four more estates (Buitenverwachting, Klein Constantia, Uitsig and Steenberg) that boast some of the finest wines on offer in South Africa.

In recent times, there has been an inclusion of smaller exclusive estates such as Constantia Glen, High Constantia and Eagle’s Nest.

We started our journey at Groot Constantia, where it all began.

Set on 167 hectares, bubbly winemaker Bola Gerber has a sensual palate to create masterpieces that have claimed numerous international awards. The former Young Winemaker of the Year has been working tirelessly on the farm for 10 years and has crafted some gems since taking up residence in his late 20s.

Gerber is from the old school though, and tries to steer away from mechanisation. “What’s the point of putting R100 million into a French bank account when you have 500 000 unemployed people?

“I am not really keen on too much technology in the cellar either; I prefer to turn the wine manually,” he tells Leadership.

And it is Gerber’s love for old-world methods that makes him appealing, with his hands-on approach to winemaking. “I go over to France every second year to clean presses and pick up new ideas,” he says.

The Stellenbosch University graduate insists that quality control is not an individual pursuit: “You shouldn’t taste your own wines all the time; it’s important to have outside input.

“I invite friends and neighbours to sample the wines, to get a reaction to little things that bug me. But you must use people you trust!

“I often get together with the other winemakers of the region to test each other’s wines and discuss various aspects of the job at hand. At the end of the day, we’re all in the same boat.

“If one farm receives awards with a particular wine, it increases the status of the entire region and we all benefit,” Gerber adds.

Sharing ideas is a common thread in the valley, and all the winemakers meet on a regular basis to discuss aspects of viticulture and, obviously, a fair amount of tasting.

The Constantia Valley Association was set up to give the area more exposure and to create a true wine route.

Klein Constantia

After a short stroll through the vineyards, we were met with the delightful neighbouring estate of Klein Constantia, which has been producing some of the most memorable vintages in South African history – undoubtedly led by Napoleon’s absolute favourite, the Vin de Constance.

Its distinctive Muscat de Frontignan grape produces a taste sensation that has solidified itself as one of the world’s premier dessert wines.

Winemaker Adam Mason believes its success lies in the aroma. “Muscat’s an aromatic variety of grape, with an incredible array of flavours. When we harvest, you get high floral characteristics coming through which enriches the wine.”

The estate has a different feel to its larger neighbour of Groot Constantia, and does not cater for bus loads of tourists, which makes it a more personalised experience.

Its 36-year-old winemaker has been on the farm since 2003, growing in stature as one of the valley’s most respected leaders.

Mason says, “This is a working farm, and we don’t have loads of money to throw around. “We’re here to produce fine wines, and make it possible for visitors to actually see the process in action, as the production area is close to the tasting room.”

The estate enjoys a variety of soil types and gradients, which have allowed the vineyards to rise up the abundant slopes of the Constantiaberg mountain range.

Mason was kind enough to drive us to the top of the estate in his 4x4, where one can enjoy unsurpassed views of False Bay and the Constantia Valley. He muses, “You almost have to pinch yourself to think you’re still in the city.”

Mason was one of the first winemakers to reduce the reliance on pesticides, rather preferring to introduce ladybugs in a more environmentally friendly approach to virus control.

“My motivation is to have better soil in the long term. The winemaker should act as a midwife, and not fiddle too much,” he says.

Buitenverwachting

A mere stone’s throw away is another charming privately owned estate, Buitenverwachting, which boasts rolling landscapes and majestic vistas that are ideal for lazy Sunday afternoon picnics on manicured lawns. Its restaurant has been a mainstay hit over the years, often popping up on top-10 lists of Western Cape establishments.

German Richard Mueller bought the farm in 1981 – in a dilapidated state – and spent much time and money restoring it from an ailing strawberry farm.

His son, Lars Maack, now runs operations, and elaborates: “It was completely run-down; staff were lying on the floor drunk because of the previous ‘dop system’, where employees would be given wine and not money in exchange for work.

“We introduced sport to the workers and created a soccer pitch, so they could play against the other farms. The rate of alcoholism has dropped from 100% when we took over, to 8% currently.

“We have a great team now, who work and live on the farm. There’s a monthly bonus system for the cellar team, so we share in the success of the farm,” adds Maack.

The hard work paid off, and the estate was brought back to its former glory of the late 1800s, when Constantia dessert wines were all the rage among Europeans. Indeed, the area is now flavour of the month, with multimillion-rand mansions neighbouring the estate. “I think it’s quite sexy being surrounded by all these fancy homes,” reflects Maack.

And they have done everything in their power to maintain the tranquil nature of the estate. “If we were choosing money, we’d have weddings all the time. The farm is not geared for it,” he insists.

Uitsig

Our next stop, Constantia Uitsig, has been making waves of late with its three internationally acclaimed restaurants: Constantia Uitsig, The River Cafè, and La Colombe – which have served rich and famous clientele with distinction.

The estate is owned by David and Marlene McCay, together with Mvelaphanda Holdings – which is a Tokyo Sexwale consortium.

The McCay’s took over the run-down land in 1988, replanting the vineyards in 1990, and it has since been restored to its former glory. Thirty-four hectares are planted with Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Sémillon, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, with a production of approximately 14 000 cases a year.

With an all-star lineup of restaurants for the winemaker André Rousseau to satisfy, the former Boland rugby player must constantly maintain exceptional standards.

He says, “We have three fantastic restaurants on the farm, one (La Colombe) being number one in South Africa. The challenge is also obviously to make a wine that is consistent enough, and premium enough for the wine list.

“I always think that it’s important that our wines should be a showcase with the restaurants; and by having our wines on the list, being paired with the different styles of food, is actually amazing. To me, I can’t imagine having an entry-level wine of Constantia Uitsig at such a premium restaurant.

“Many times we do wine tastings with Alan Mullins, Dave Swingler, Christian Eedes and some other wine writers. We get them together and do tastings; prepare it with our own food.

“And when they walk away with a ‘wow’ attitude, you know it’s going to be a hit,” adds Rousseau.

Uitsig has more to offer than wining and dining, with an exclusive spa and hotel.

Executive chairperson Lawrie McIntosh explains the essence behind the estate: “It doesn’t matter whether you’re in the restaurant or in the hotel. It’s all about service, and that’s what a lot of people don’t understand about restaurants. It’s not just about the food. It’s about the ambiance. And if you arrive at reception and you’re not well treated, you’ll never come back – and probably tell your friends.

“We have stringent quality control in the winemaking process, too. We produce about 200 tonnes of grapes and we only use about three-quarters of that. The grapes which André feels are not up to quality are sold off. So it’s all about maintaining quality,” concludes the likable Scot.

Constantia Glen

The last stop on our “best of the Constantia Valley tour” leads us to one of the highest farms in the area, Constantia Glen, with majestic views of the bay and surrounding estates.

It is uniquely located in the saddle of the Constantiaberg range, thereby exposing the north-facing red wine varietals to an additional few hours of late afternoon sunlight, allowing for optimum ripeness and fruit concentration.

The estate is very exclusive and was closed to the public until a decision was finally made to set up a tasting room in October, to give the wines more exposure.

Charismatic winemaker Karl Lambour has been working tirelessly to create three delightful wines from this relatively small estate. His Sauvignon Blanc cleaned up at the Les Grands Vins Du Monde contest in Canada in 2009, and received four stars out of five in the John Platter South African Wine Guide.

Lambour reflects, “We don’t want to make a wine that is going to win all the shows. We’d like to, but one of the problems with a wine that wins the medals at shows, is that you can drink half a glass and then you have to say, ‘Please, I really can’t do that anymore’. The best award for us is if somebody orders another bottle at the restaurant.

“We want to make a wine that is subtle, yet complex, but you’d say: ‘Shew, I’d like to drink some more of that’. Our wines are perfect accompaniments for food. They won’t overwhelm the food, but rather balance the food and help express the flavours – they’re really fantastic companion wines.”

The 42-year-old winemaker has received some positive reviews, though he is a little concerned about certain aspects: “The most interesting feedback, which sometimes is a little bit worrying for me – because it’s not something that we’re striving to do – is: ‘This doesn’t taste like a South African wine’.

“I think we want to have a footprint, or a signature, of South Africa in the wine. The grapes are growing in Constantia, tanks are made in Epping Industria, the barrels are imported, but everybody uses imported barrels. I’m South African. There’s no reason that the wine shouldn’t have a South African image, but a lot of people say, ‘Wow, this tastes European. It doesn’t taste South African’,” says Lambour.

Whatever the pundits say, the Constantia Glen wines are top draw and represent the improvements in farming methods and attention to detail that Lambour has instilled in his team.

So next time you are in Cape Town, do yourself a favour and savour some of the best wines in the world. ▲

Gregory Simpson