visit the constantia valley

The Constantia Valley is home to the oldest vineyards in South Africa and is situated smack bang on our doorstep and only 15 kays form the city centre. You don’t need to travel miles to find spectacular wine, food and beautiful views.

If you are into relaxing, there are a number of top hotels and spas like Steenberg Estate as well a range of small B & B’s nestled in and around the valley.

If you are into adventure, you will find zip lining, horse riding, mountain biking and 4×4 trails in the area too.

I enjoyed a lovely day in the Constantia Valley as a guest last week, and was so pleased to visit a few new places and re visit others I hadn’t been to in ages. First up was a ziplining adventure at Silvermist Estate which I found utterly terrifying. I’m far too much of a wimp to handle this kind of extreme sport but was pleased that I gave two of the lines a whirl. Everyone else loved it and the package includes 7 lines with an even higher line under construction. I’m far better suited to the delicious food and wine pairing that came up next in the Silvermist Eatery, the more casual dining spot on the estate. The recently re located La Colombe Restaurant is further up the hill on the same property. There are beautiful views too, and I’m thinking this will make a cosy wintry lunch spot in my future.

Our transport from one wine estate to the other was provided by Constantia Wine Tours, a specialist tour operator in the area.

Next up was a visit to Klein Constantia where we met the wine maker Matthew Day and sabraged a bottle of bubbly high up on the estate next to the second dam. With sweeping views of False Bay, the vineyards are perfectly located for cool climate wines. Their Vin de Constance is one of the highest rated wines in South African History (by Robert Parker) and is nothing short of nectar from the ‘gods’. It was sad to see and hear about the devastation the fire has caused on and near the farm, and it remains to be seen whether their precious late harvest grapes will escape smoke damage.

From there it was around the corner to Buitenverwachting for lunch hosted by Lars Maack in the Restaurant. More beautiful views, food and wine along with very cute dogs. They make an incredibly aromatic gin too which is a must-taste.

Our last stop for the day was Eagles Nest, a boutique vineyard that is cradled in a secluded valley high up on the Constantia Mountain. They produce five extremely elegant wines of the highest quality. We were whisked up the mountain in a 4 x 4 to see the vineyards and pretty views. They offer picnics under the shady trees in front of the wine tasting room.

I cant wait to visit these wine farms again and all the others in the Constantia Valley, and luckily for me I can do regularly.

If you want to experience all of the Constantia wine route and valley in one fun event, the Constantia Food & Wine Festival is happening on the 17 – 19 April. Over 40 Constantia wines will be showcased along with so much delicious food.

I made a little film of our day in Constantia starting out with being picked up by Uber for a safe ride.