Little towns of Western Cape
Whilst in the Western Cape I spent some time in Montagu; a little town about 200km inland from Cape Town, near the Little Karoo. It’s a stunning area filled with mountains and fruit farms for hours drive in any direction, with scenery varying from mountains, rolling hills, green valleys to the flatlands of the Karoo. The wine farms in and around the area may not be as famous compared to those in Franschhoek, Stellenbosch or Paarl which to many people can come across as a little intimidating and less relaxing, however I’ve found that many of the smaller estates are a lot more relaxing and fun, the wines are wonderful and cost considerably less too.
There must be hundreds if not thousands of wine farms and estates in the Western Cape, the one thing I have learnt is don’t judge the little estates because you’ve never heard of them. A good example is Springfield Estate; you could quite easily drive past if but you would be missing a little gem. Set against a massive manmade crystal clear lake with lush lawns, you are allowed to take your own food and picnic there as long as you buy one of their wines and you are welcome to stay as long as you like – their wines are brilliants. I’ve tasted them all, white and red, value/taste for money you will be hard pressed to find better. If you’re in the neighbourhood they are worth a detour – http://www.springfieldestate.com/gallery/
Some other notable stop overs:
- If you like brandy then the Klipdrift Distillery in Robertson – https://www.klipdrift.co.za/distillery
- Van Loveren – https://www.vanloveren.co.za/ they also have a lovely restaurant in Robertson in addition to the estate
- Excelsior Estate – where you can also mix and bottle your own wine
Montagu is about 150 years old and a lovely quaint little town, perfect to base yourself from and branch out from there. My next stop would be a quick visit to the Royal Jozini Game Reserve
