Tour South Africa with a side of wine

The South African wine industry, started by the Dutch East India Company, had their first harvest in 1659. The vineyards were planted to produce wines and grapes to ward off scurvy among sailors during their voyages along the spice route to India. The winemaking was woefully bad in the 17th century, so French Huguenots with winemaking experience were invited and settled in an area now called Stellenbosch.

South Africa today is the world’s seventh-largest wine producer. The top three planted white grapes are Chenin Blanc, Colombard and Sauvignon Blanc. The top reds are Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Pinotage (a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault).

We got to know the country’s wines firsthand on a 22-day trip.. The Navigator decided before we tasted the wines we probably should see the wild animals first, so we chose this tour: Days 1-2-Fly to Johannesburg. Day 3-Visit Soweto and Nelson Mandela’s home. Day 4-Fly to Kruger National Park. Day 5-Full day game drive. Day 6-Repeat Day 5. Day 7-Fly to Livingstone and transfer to Victoria Falls. Day 8-Explore Victoria Falls. Day 9-Visit a school and enjoy a home-cooked meal. Day10-Transfer to Hawange National Park and Iganyana Tented Camp. Day 11-Morning and afternoon safari drives. Day 12-Visit Painted Dog Conservation Center and evening game drive. Day 13-Travel to the Chobe National Park with afternoon game drive. Day 14-Cruise the Chobe River after game drive. Day 15-Photo safari on the Chobe River. Day 16-Fly to Cape Town. Day 17-Visit Table Mountain and explore Cape Town. Day 18-Visit Cape Winelands and tasting at two Stellenbosch Wineries, fantastic lunch. Day 19-Visit the Cape of Good Hope and Boulders Beach penguins. Day 20-Luxury bay cruise. Days 21-22-Fly home. I was a bit disappointed visiting just two wineries but the wines were excellent. It was the frosting on the cake of a great adventure. We loved Africa!

What’s on our table: I like Trader Joe’s. I like their prices and their selection of Old World wines. The closest TJ’s is 25 miles to the north or 55 miles to the south. This is a major problem. Here are some good deals. For pink and whites, I like the La Ferme Julien Rose ($5.99), the Castle Rock Monterey Rose ($4.49) and the Picton Bay New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc ($7.99). For reds, I picked the La Sonriente Garnacha ($6.99) and Laurent Dublanc Cotes du Rhone ($5.99). I took a chance on a Trader Joe’s Premium Reserve Carneros Pinot Noir ($14.99) and I will definitely buy more.

Cheers!

Questions? Comments? Find me on Facebook or at rgwinton@yahoo.com.

This story was originally published December 27, 2022 at 9:00 AM with the headline "Tour South Africa with a side of wine."