5 Best Sights in Cape Town, South Africa

Once part of Dutch governor Simon van der Stel's original Constantia farm, Buitenverwachting (meaning "beyond expectation" and roughly pronounced "Bait-in-fur-VAGH-ting") enjoys an unimaginably bucolic setting—it's almost impossible to believe you are 20-or-so minutes from the city center. An oak-lined avenue leads past fields of horses and cows and over a small stream until passing the Cape Dutch homestead and eventually arriving at the small modern cellar. Acres of vines spread up hillsides flanked by more towering oaks and the rocky crags of Constantiaberg Mountain. Buitenverwachting's wines are as impressive as the views; a big seller is its flagship red, "Christine," a Bordeaux-style blend of mostly Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Tastings (five wines for R100) happen in the historic cellar and there are cheeses and charcuterie available to nibble on as you sip. Extremely popular here are picnics taken on the lawns under 250-year-old trees with chickens running around; Harvest platters are R480 and can be shared between two people. The entire property is open for on-foot exploration, a great way to take in the vineyards while admiring the mountains in front of you.

Yet another award-winning wine estate, this one enjoys sweeping views of the Constantia wine route just below the Constantia Nek roundabout. A huge "tasting room" spread across four different areas, including a beautiful covered veranda, glassed-in conservatory space, and cozy lounge space, offers wine tastings with a small menu of delicious light fare, cheese platters, and the like.

This has to be one of the most spectacular settings of any winery in the country. Sit on the terrace of the tasting room or restaurant and look past a screen of pin oaks to the valley below and the majestic crags of the Groot Drakenstein and Simonsberg Mountains. It's an ideal place to stop for lunch, and you'll need at least three hours to do your meal and the wines justice. The flagship Delaire Graff Restaurant champions local ingredients, while ultra-high-end Hoseki melds seasonal South African produce with contemporary Japanese flavors. Although the Botmaskop Red Blend is the farm's flagship wine, do try the Cabernet Franc Rosé, a lovely take on a varietal that usually gets added to the Bordeaux Blend. The Coastal Cuvée Sauvignon Blanc is exceptional and has won numerous awards.

The town of Constantia takes its name from the wine estate established here in 1685 by Simon van der Stel, one of the first Dutch colonial governors of the Cape. It was one of the largest owners of enslaved people who were the actual builders and growers of this establishment—and yet often gets overlooked because of the terrible history of this property. After van der Stel's death in 1712, the land was subdivided, with the heart of the estate preserved at Groot Constantia. The enormous complex, which enjoys the status of a national monument, is by far the most commercial and touristy of the wineries, with Van der Stel's homestead, the oldest in the Cape, now a museum furnished with exquisite period pieces. The old "Cloete" wine cellar sits behind the manor house and serves as an additional tasting room. Built in 1791, it is most famous for its own ornate gable, which contains a sculpture depicting fertility designed by Anton Anreith. The estate operates two restaurants, Jonkershuis and Simon's, both of which serve quality meals and have deli-style offerings, and picnics to enjoy on the surrounding lawns.

Klein (rhymes with "stain") means "small" in Afrikaans and indicates the relative size of this portion of Simon van der Stel's original 17th-century Constantia estate. The winery, which is approached via a gorgeous pass along an tree-lined avenue and over a stream, has an impressive modern cellar, and the estate produces wines of superb quality, as awards displayed in the tasting area attest. The excellent Sauvignon Blanc is used as a point of reference by many South African connoisseurs and vintners (there's also a tasting dedicated to this cultivar). The closest you'll come to the famous Constantia wine of the 18th century is the Vin de Constance, a sweet wine made from predominantly Muscat de Frontignan grapes; the wine was a favorite of Napoléon’s, and he had 30 bottles a month sent to him when he was imprisoned on Saint Helena. A daytime bistro serves a selection of farm-to-table dishes designed to pair well with the wines.