South Africa’s first vineyards were planted on the slopes of Constantia Mountain to catch the sunshine and cooling sea breezes, but as Cape Town expanded some of the land originally leased to be vineyards was swallowed up. Now the smart suburbs are being taken over by vines again. Klein Constantia, Groot Constatia and Buitenverwachting vineyards have brought back the land from the original plantings and some of the original vines have survived.

Only two other estates have vineyards here, but because it’s part of Cape Town this is an easy place to come to to stock your cellar.

The best wines to come out of Constantia have Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon bases, but the most famous is the dessert wine, Vin de Constance (by Klein Constantia) drunk by an exiled Napoleon.

Written by  Kat Mackintosh.

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