Winemaking in South Africa began 350 years ago when the first Dutch Stadtholder planted grapevines. The day tour concludes at South Africa's most famous winery.GROOT CONSTANTIALet's go over there♪
At the reception, Japanese guide Keiko will take care of your tasting application. Here, for R30 per person (about 300 yen), you can choose 5 glasses of your favorite wines from 11 different white and red wines.
This is the birthplace of South Africa's oldest wine industry, which began when the second governor-general planted 100,000 grapevines. It is said to have been favored by figures such as Napoleon I and the Russian Emperor. 350 years have passed since wine was first produced in the Cape region of South Africa. South African wine, a fusion of Old World and New World winemaking techniques, maintains its traditions while retaining its pioneering spirit, and its reputation in the international market is growing. South Africa was long isolated from the world market due to economic sanctions imposed under apartheid (racial segregation policy), but under the 15 years of democracy following the abolition of apartheid, the country's wines became known worldwide, and a new movement to pursue high quality began, leading to the continued development of the wine industry. Grapevines were first planted in Cape Town in 1655. The diary of Jan van Riebeek, the Dutch commander who established the Cape Colony as a transit base for the Dutch East India Company, dates back to February 2, 1659, and reads as follows: "Praise God! Today the grapes of the Cape have been pressed for the first time."
Bennie Howard of Groot Constantia, a winery established in 1685, says, "South Africa's wine industry has come full circle. It's experiencing a resurgence of the international popularity it enjoyed in the 1700s." Indeed, while the global economic crisis has led to a decline in the wine trade, South Africa, the world's ninth-largest wine producer, exported a record 400 million liters in 2008. It has also swept numerous international awards, boasting a fantastic selection of wines.
Let's quickly select something we like from the wine list. What I noticed when looking at the wine list was how reasonable the prices were. The wines available for tasting ranged in price from around 700 yen to under 3,000 yen. And even the most expensive wine available for purchase (though not for tasting) was under 7,000 yen. I think I finally understood why our Japanese guide, Keiko, said, "In South Africa, you can find delicious wines in the 500 yen range!"
"Sauvignon Blanc 2012"
This wine won a Gold Award at the 2013 Monde Selection International Wine Show and the 2013 International Wine Challenge. It offers notes of guava, papaya, herbs, and minerality, with tropical fruit flavors and a refreshing hint of green apple, making it perfect as an aperitif. However, the generous pour, far exceeding what one might expect for a tasting, is certainly a welcome treat!
Our Japanese guide, Keiko, is doing the tasting purely as part of her job, in order to convey the flavors to us more deeply (laughs).
"Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc 2012"
This drink boasts a rich array of ripe summer fruit flavors, including melon, guava, and grapefruit. It has a beautiful pale straw color, a mild mouthfeel, and a creamy finish enhanced by tropical fruit and citrus notes.
"Chardonnay 2012"
Winner of the 2013 SA Top 100 Award. A rich Chardonnay with flavors of orange peel, lime, citrus, and peach.
This lovely young lady explaining the wine is Jade (23 years old), a university student working part-time at the winery. Surprisingly, after exchanging greetings in Japanese, she explained various wine information in Japanese! It seems she learned Japanese almost entirely on her own, and even Japanese manga is one of her language learning materials (lol). And Jade's name means "jade," and she can even write the kanji for jade! (Amazing!) Even we Japanese can read jade, but we can hardly write it (lol).
In a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere reminiscent of a restaurant, many people, including locals as well as other tourists, enjoy tasting the wines.
"Pinotage 2011"
A full-bodied wine with an intense dark red color. Aromas of dark chocolate, cherry, and ripe plum. Flavors of juicy plum and ripe strawberry.
"Cabernet Sauvignon 2011"
A deep ruby red Cabernet Sauvignon. Flavors of raspberry and blackcurrant!
"Gouverneurs Reserve 2010"
Winner of the 2013 SA Top 100. Gold Award at the 2013 Monde Selection International Wine Show. The wine has a deep, intense red color. Aromas of black cherry, plum, blackcurrant, chocolate, and mint. Rich flavor!
After enjoying the delicious wine beyond just tasting, we took a commemorative photo with Jade. Her cuteness and love for Japan warmed my heart♪
Our Japanese guide, Keiko, explained the history of the building and the wine scene in South Africa.
As it's a winery, you can also tour the vineyards. The harvest season is over now, and the vines are bare, but thanks to this vast land and the favorable conditions of abundant sunshine and wind, flavorful grapes are surely produced here!
A squirrel clinging to a tree like a flying squirrel (lol). It seems to be on alert, holding a nut in its mouth.
This is operated by a winery.Jonkershuis restaurantLocated within the Groot Constantia Wine Estate, it offers panoramic views of the peninsula and the majestic Constantia Valley. Opened in December 2005, this Cape Murray-inspired bistro is surrounded by ancient oak trees and legendary vineyards. Enjoy your meal outdoors under a parasol, overlooking False Bay or the courtyard.
The restaurant's interior features warm color tones, creating a spacious and inviting atmosphere with a main restaurant accommodating up to 80 people. You can enjoy light meals, South African cuisine, Malaysian curry, and more. The pairing of food and wine at this winery-run restaurant is sure to be wonderful!
The one-day guided tour with JARAT TOURS was a truly wonderful and satisfying experience. This was all thanks to Marvin, who served as our driver all day, and Keiko, who acted as our interpreter and guide, fluent in both Japanese and English! Cape Town and its people are truly lovely! Thank you! Now, for our final day in Cape Town, I'll introduce a 5-star hotel spa resort♪
Here is the table of contents for my travelogue about Cape Town, South Africa.
GROOT CONSTANTIA
http://www.grootconstantia.co.za/
