Beautiful oak-lined streets, Cape Dutch architecture, arts and culture, restaurants…and drunk students! Welcome to the historic town of Stellenbosch, or Stellies as its known amongst the locals. Situated just 50km from Cape Town, the second oldest town in South Africa is home to some of the country’s top wine producers and restaurants.

The history of Stellenbosch dates back to 1679 when Simon van Der Stel, the Governor of the Cape Colony at the time, was granted a stretch of land by the Dutch East India Trading Company, and he promptly named the area after himself…as one does! Despite many attempts the early settlers struggled to produce decent wine, and it was only when the French Huguenots arrived in 1688 did the regions fortunes change.

The town finds itself surrounded by spectacular mountain ranges. In the north we have the Simonsberg mountains (also named after Mr van der Stel), the Hottentots-Holland mountain range in the east and the Stellenbosch Mountains in the south. These mountains play a vital role in the climate and terroir, and in amongst all of this beauty we find some of the best wine estates in the world. 

Stellenbosch is famous for its Cabernet Sauvignon, which can be found on wine lists across the globe, while Shiraz, Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc are of an equal high standard and quality. Stellenbosch is also the home of Pinotage, a blend of Pinot Noir and Hermitage, made famous by Abraham Perold, the first Professor of Viticulture at Stellenbosch University. Choosing the “best” farms and wines is difficult and subjective, so we suggest you visit them all…all 200 of them! Or have a look at our favourites, but for some reason our list keeps growing.