Groot Constantia

Groot Constantia is the oldest wine estate in South Africa, founded in 1685 by Simon van der Stel, the first governor of the Cape, on the eastern slopes of the Constantia Valley, about 25 minutes from central Cape Town in the Western Cape. The estate is best known for its elegant Cape Dutch manor house, with a gabled facade and thatched roof, which now serves as a museum furnished with period antiques that show how the wealthy colonial families lived. Visitors can walk through the manor house, the wine museum, the old cellar and the well-kept gardens, and then taste the estate's wines in the tasting room, which offers flights of Constantia wines such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Shiraz and the historic sweet Grand Constance dessert wine, a favourite of eighteenth-century European royalty. Cellar tours explain the winemaking process, from the vineyards on the slopes to the barrel cellars. Two restaurants, Jonkershuis and Simon's, serve lunch with views over the vineyards towards False Bay, and picnics can be arranged in summer. A visit usually lasts two to three hours, though a long lunch can stretch it to half a day. The grounds are free to enter, with fees for tastings, tours and the museum. The best photo angles are of the manor house from the front lawn and the vineyard rows with the mountains behind, particularly in afternoon light. Weekday mornings are quiet, while weekends and the harvest period of February and March draw bigger crowds. Hosts are strict about responsible tasting, so designated drivers and transport arrangements are sensible. The estate is close to other Constantia Valley wineries and Kirstenbosch, which makes combining them in one day easy.