Pictures From My South African Wine Travels

The Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Hamilton Russell were two of my favorite South African wines. Unfortunately, their tasting room was closed for renovations but I stopped by sister winery Southern Right and tasted through the whole family line-up.

Groot Constantia is located in the Cape Peninsula winegrowing region of Constantia. With False Bay to the east and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and mountains all around, it's an incredible and diverse region with a lot of exciting wines.

Ashbourne (a Hamilton Russell project) produces a gorgeous white blend (Sauvignon Blanc/Chardonnay) and red (Pinotage/Cabernet Sauvignon) from the Hemel-En-Aarde Valley. Both are intriguing and age-worthy wines. 

This Ashbourne white blend was submerged in Walker Bay to age beneath the cold waves of the
Southern Cape. Unfortunately, I didn't bring a bottle home because I didn't want a customs headache.

Stark-Condé winery has one of the most beautiful tasting rooms I've ever seen. You sip their wines
on a little oasis in the middle of a pond. The surrounding mountains of the Jonkershoek Valley are stunning.

Take the vertigo-inducing Chapman's Peak Drive south down the Cape, and you'll arrive at Cape Point Vineyards. What a place!

The Hemel-en-Aarde-Valley is a striking place. The coastal influences can be smelled in the air and tasted in the elegant wines. 

Muratie Estate, located on the mountainous outskirts of Stellenbosch, is a history-rich winery with an Old World aesthetic.