Stellenbosch Wine Routes

The Stellenbosch Wine Routes is the oldest and most celebrated wine route organisation in South Africa, and its founding story begins not in the Cape but in Burgundy. In 1969, winemakers Frans Malan of Simonsig and Niel Joubert of Spier were travelling through France when they stumbled upon the Routes des Vins signpost at Morey-Saint-Denis. The idea was irresistible: why not create something similar in Stellenbosch, where the farms were just as historic and the wines increasingly world-class?

Two years later, on 6 April 1971, Malan and Joubert — joined by Spatz Sperling of Delheim — formally launched the Stellenbosch Wine Routes, making it the first organised wine route in South Africa. In those early days, the concept was radical. Before the route existed, most Cape wine farms sold their grapes to cooperatives and had no cellar-door experience at all. The founding trio changed that, creating a coordinated network of farms that opened their doors to the public for tastings, sales, and hospitality. It was the birth of wine tourism in South Africa.

More than fifty years later, the Stellenbosch Wine Routes represents over 150 member wineries within the boundaries of the Stellenbosch Wine of Origin classification. The organisation divides its territory into five sub-routes — Greater Simonsberg, Stellenbosch Berg, Helderberg, Stellenbosch Valley, and Bottelary Hills — each with its own distinct climate, soil profile, and signature wine styles. From the granite slopes of Simonsberg to the maritime-influenced Helderberg bowl, the diversity of terroir across the appellation is extraordinary.

Stellenbosch itself is the undisputed wine capital of South Africa. Its university has trained generations of winemakers and viticulturists, and the town's oak-lined streets are home to more wine-related businesses per square kilometre than anywhere else on the continent. The member farms range from historic Cape Dutch estates like Lanzerac, Rustenberg, and Meerlust to modernist newcomers pushing boundaries with natural winemaking and unconventional blends.

The route's annual calendar includes flagship events such as the Stellenbosch Wine Festival, vineyard-to-table dining experiences, and seasonal open-cellar weekends that draw visitors from around the world. The organisation also champions sustainability through its membership of the Porto Protocol, committing Stellenbosch producers to climate-conscious viticulture.

From its offices at 47 Church Street in Stellenbosch, the Wine Routes team coordinates marketing, tourism development, and member services for what remains the most visited wine region in Africa. It is an organisation built on a simple insight from a Burgundy road sign — and fifty-five years of turning that insight into a world-class wine destination.