With its winemaking legacy spanning over more than four decades, the Stellenbosch Wine Routes might be considered a golden oldie, but with all its innovative wine tourism initiatives going strong, this dynamic Winelands darling still manages to fuel all the senses.

Whether you drive towards the City of Oaks on the scenic R44 with its remarkable vista, swirl a glass of wine on a shady terrace of a world-renown estate or meander along one of the hiking trails that criss-cross the awe-inspiring peaks of this historic university town, it is hard not to fall in love with South-Africa’s granddaddy of wine routes.

From humble beginnings in 1971, the first and foremost Stellenbosch Wine Routes now boasts more than 150 wineries as members which have been divided into five sub-routes on physical location. They are: Bottelary Hills, Greater Simonsberg, Helderberg, Stellenbosch Valley and Stellenbosch Berg.

This bite-size approach helps visitors get the most out of their Winelands experiences, on a route that caters to history and architecture buffs, sports fanatics, families, romantic couples, nature lovers, gourmands, casual quaffers and serious pilgrims of the grape.

Long gone are the days when tourists just valued Stellenbosch as a day trip destination to taste quality wines. Today the Stellenbosch Wine Routes is celebrated as a leader in South African wine tourism and offers the Full Monty. It is home to some of the best chefs and finest restaurants in the country and features a multi-faceted playground of activities for young and old.

Don’t Miss the Stellenbosch Harvest Parade 2016!

The memorable Stellenbosch Harvest Parade also pays homage to the people behind this labour of love and especially the invaluable contribution of South Africa’s farm workers. This proud Stellenbosch procession traditionally includes merry marching bands, inimitable Cape minstrels, drum majorettes and – the highlight of this harvest high jinks – a flotilla of bold and beautifully decorated tractors, trailer and trucks. The troupe represents participating wineries and will meander its way through the streets to bring unique Stellenbosch gees (spirit) to the season’s toil.

“Our Harvest Parade recognises the work of thousands of men and women responsible for sustaining the wine industry in Stellenbosch,” says Stellenbosch Wine Routes Manager Elmarie Rabe. “At the same time, it marks the start of the grape-picking season’s hustle-and-bustle that will again yield the award-winning wines responsible for making Stellenbosch world-renowned.

The Stellenbosch Harvest Parade is a celebration of the very essence of a vibrant and eclectic “Stellies” and should not be missed. Among the participating wineries that will set out to paint the town red in their unique way are Simonsig, Lanzerac, Waterford, L’Avenir, Eikendal, Alto, Neethlinghof, Kleine Zalze Wines, Hill & Dale and Delheim.

The Stellenbosch Harvest Parade takes place on 28 January from 9am. It will be followed by a harvest blessing ceremony at the town hall in Plein Street at 10am. It signals the start of the Stellenbosch Wine Festival presented by Pick ‘n Pay, which takes place at the Coetzenburg sports grounds from 24 to 26 February.

Don’t miss any of the wine festival action and buy tickets now at webtickets.

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TODAY’S QUESTION – FILL IN THE MISSING NUMBER

Stellenbosch Wine Routes now boasts more than _ _ _ wineries.

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