This company is simply genius and offers exactly what the amateur wine enthusiast needs: a safe way to get from one estate to the other and back home

Stellenbosch is not a huge city, nor are there that many historical or cultural hotspots to visit. So why does this seemingly unimportant city have to be on your South-African to-do list? There is one very convincing answer: wine! The entire countryside around the city is filled with huge vineyards and its corresponding estates. It’s basically like doing a Chateau Wine Tour in France. Only a lot cheaper! Find out how to get around to the estates without having to drive your own car.

How to get there?

There are many options to get to Stellenbosch from Cape Town. By car it’s only a 45 min drive: either following the N1 and then take the exit to the R304 or follow the N2 and take the exit to the R310. There are many buses and shuttle buses that will take you from the Mother City to the Wine City. If you have a Baz Bus pass they can take you there. No Baz bus but a wallet full of cash: you can take hire a cab that will cost you around R400.

If you don’t want to waste money on a taxi just take a train. The Northern Line will take you there in about an hour. There is a train almost every hour. However it is recommend to travel during peak times (7 – 8:30 AM and 4:30 – 6 PM) for safety reasons. If you are staying the night make sure you arrange a pick up because there won’t necessarily be any taxis waiting at the Stellenbosch train station.

Where to stay?

You might want to book a place to crash after your wine tour. Or when you want to continue the wine buzz in the student nightlife of the town. We definitely needed it!

There are many hotels and guesthouses in and around town but most of them are rather pricey. A decent one will cost you around € 75, more luxury will cost you from € 100 to € 250. You can also stay at some of the Wine Estates themselves.

If you’re looking for a more budget option: there are not that many hostels in town. We stayed at the iKhaya Stellenbosch Backpackers but another well rated hostel is the Banghoek Place. A dorm bed will cost you around € 15.

The Vine Hopper

This company is simply genius and offers exactly what the amateur wine enthusiast needs: a safe way to get from one estate to the other and back home. The service is simple: you pay a R300 ticket for one day (R450 for two days) and you pick one of the three routes that the Vine Hopper services each day.

A little van will pick you up from any hostel or hotel in town at certain hours during the day and you between the different estates. There are 6 departure times per day at each stop and you decide where you hop on and off. Each route services 5 or 6 different estate. Combining different and interesting estates throughout the day.

Check out their website or download their brochure to get more information about the other packages they offer like Vine & Dine or including accommodation.

Our Wine Tasting Experience

The Hangover

Yes, the hangover, and we did not even start our tour yet. However we enjoyed the Cape Town nightlife the day before. Maybe we enjoyed it a bit too much: it took us a lot of effort to get out of bed, load all our stuff up into our Figo and drive to Stellenbosch. We arrived and checked into the iKhaya Hostel. Not even 30 minutes after arriving we hopped onto the next passing Vine Hopper and our adventure had started. We all looked like we felt and non of us would have predicted we would have made it through the day. Which we did (kind of…)!

The Estates

We had chosen the Northern Route and hopped of at the second stop: Beyerskloof. We were impressed by the modern and beautiful estate. But equally so by the price of the tasting. A mere R20 got us 5 different wines to taste. We picked our spot at the sunny tables on the terrace and started to sip from our first glass. After each glass we looked better and happier.

We passed by 3 more estates and scored similar deals at each one. Simonsig, Delheim and Warwick. Each more impressive than the next. At most estates you could pick whichever wines of the menu, so we consistently picked the most expensive ones. We also had an incredibly delicious cheese platter at Delheim. Luckily we agreed up front to all wear our one formal shirt to blend in.

The Nap

After 4 estates, 24 glasses of wine and bubbles each and a lot of fun we arrived back at our hostel. We told ourselves we would just rest a while before heading out for dinner. The wine and scarce hours of sleep the night before decided otherwise and within 5 min we we’re all fast asleep. We woke up about an hour and a half later, still very dazed and confused.

We asked at the hostel reception where to go to eat, drink and party. Surprisingly the answer to all three questions was the same: Bohemia. So we walked the full 5 min to this legendary bar. It was indeed packed with students and had a very cozy atmosphere. The friendly waitress convinces us way to easily to order a lot of beers (happy hour) and some pizza.

The Catwalk

We join a group of Germans, many of which studying at the local university with an exchange program. After another round or two they decide to go to a club, and we decide to join. We walk another 5 min to the Catwalk, the town’s most popular club. The place is packed and has three different rooms: mainstream, techno and 90’s. We dance the entire night until the amount of wine and beers compels us back to our hostel.