Going Green Cape Wine Tour
Going Green Cape Wine Tour
Wine has always been about a sense of place. On this tour, we explore a newer chapter of that story: the Cape winelands’ growing commitment to farming in harmony with nature, not against it. From biodynamic pioneers to estates bringing back indigenous fynbos, using regenerative methods, or simply cutting their environmental footprint, this is a journey through the people and philosophies shaping a greener future for South African wine.
Important: The Day of the Week Matters Most
This is a fully private, tailor-made tour — and because different estates only open for tours or lunch on certain days, the day of the week you choose determines which wineries we can include. The estates are also spread out across the Winelands, so once we know your date, we build an itinerary that flows well geographically as well as matching your taste.
Please let us know your preferred day before booking, so we can confirm availability and design the day around it.
What “Going Green” Really Means
Estates take very different paths toward sustainability. Here’s a simple guide:
- Biodynamic farming – organic farming taken a step further, working the land in tune with the cycles of the moon.
- Organic farming – growing wine without synthetic chemicals or harmful inputs. Some estates get creative here — Avondale, for example, uses ducks to patrol the vineyards and eat the snails that would otherwise damage the vines.
- BWI (Biodiversity & Wine Initiative) – a movement encouraging estates to protect the Cape’s remaining natural vegetation (fynbos and renosterbos) alongside sustainable farming. The formal initiative has wound down, but many estates still follow its principles on their own.
- Regenerative farming – going a step beyond sustainability, actively restoring soil health and building long-term food security.
- Lower-impact practices – estates focused on reducing their footprint more broadly, from recycling and solar power to grey water systems.
Our Favourite Green Estates
Avondale (Paarl) — organic, biodynamic and biologic Our favourite way to start this tour. Climb aboard a tractor-drawn cart for a rustic eco wine safari around the farm, learning about their organic, biodynamic and biologic practices along the way. There are stops to chat, taste wine, and visit the famous duck patrol. Afterwards, we head into the cellar to see how the philosophy carries through to the finished bottle. The team is genuinely passionate about what they do, and the wines — both reds and whites — are wonderfully complex.
- Available: Wednesday to Saturday, 10am tour
- Duration: approximately 2.5 hours
- Cost: R585 per person
- Pre-booking required, subject to availability
Reyneke Wines — organic and biodynamic A short, insightful farm tour covering their philosophy, followed by a wine tasting.
- Available: weekdays only (closed weekends), by appointment
Joostenberg — organic Best known for an incredible home-style farm lunch at The Kraal, where every dish tells a story and most ingredients come straight from their own farm or neighbouring farms. A wonderful family-run estate producing excellent organic wines.
- Available: Friday to Sunday (lunch only)
- A great combination: Avondale’s eco-safari followed by Joostenberg for a long, leisurely lunch feast — best suited to a Friday or Saturday.
Vergelegen — BWI champion status, recognised for its fynbos conservation
Ken Forrester — farms along organic lines (though not fully organic after one attempt saw his entire crop wiped out). Also uses ducks to manage snails, some of which end up on the menu at his restaurant, 96 Winery Rd.
Longridge Wines — biodynamic and organic
Diemersdal — WWF Conservation Champion status
Noble Hill — organic farming practices
Spier — regenerative farming, with a strong broader commitment to sustainability
Winshaw — a small, family-owned regenerative farm producing pasture-raised Usana eggs, beef, and wine. The owner personally hosts a wine tasting and shares their regenerative farming story, alongside a simple, excellent steak restaurant reflecting their philosophy.
- Available: Wednesday to Saturday
Lunch, Your Way
Lunch is one of the most personal parts of the day, so we build it around your appetite, your pace, and how much of the Winelands you’d still like to explore afterwards. A few of our favourite green lunch options (selected depending on which estates we visit):
Babylonstoren — home to extensive organic fruit and vegetable gardens, and a magical place to start the day with a garden or farm tour (short or long options available). Lunch choices include:
- Babel, their top-end farm-to-table restaurant — open Wednesday to Sunday
- The Greenhouse, relaxed outdoor dining under the trees with lighter options (sandwiches on farm-made bread, garden salads) — open daily, no bookings taken, best visited on weekdays to avoid the crowds
- The tasting room, offering farm platters paired with a wine tasting — open daily
Babylonstoren’s garden tour is offered daily, making it a natural pairing after an Avondale morning.
Joostenberg — The Kraal — a relaxed three-course country feast served outside the old family wine cellar, with wine tasting alongside. Open Friday to Sunday.
Boschendal — Arum — one of the Cape’s oldest farms, with beautiful Cape Dutch architecture and vegetable gardens to wander through. Boschendal uses regenerative and biodynamic farming, and the kitchen team — under the same owners as Fyn Restaurant in Cape Town, rated among Africa’s best — plays with the full range of farm ingredients through drying, fermenting, smoking, braaiing and pickling. Simple presentation, next-level flavour and service. Open daily.
Melfort — a small, relaxed organic country restaurant with a talented young owner-chef, an à la carte menu, and genuinely heartfelt, well-priced food. Open Wednesday to Sunday.
Winshaw — regenerative-farmed meat, a wine tasting, and the story behind their farming philosophy, all over lunch. Small, family-owned, and well worth the visit. Open Wednesday to Saturday. (Curious to learn more beforehand? There’s a great podcast interview with the Winshaw team we’re happy to share.)
Let’s Build Your Day
Every one of our wine tours is private and tailor-made, and this one is no exception — the wine styles, the pace, the lunch, even how long we linger over lunch, all shift around what matters most to you.
To help us plan your day, please let us know:
- Your preferred date — as above, the day of the week determines which estates we can include, so this is the most important detail for us to know upfront
- Your wine preferences — reds, whites, or a mix
- Any other interests — food, art and design, shopping, gardens, gin, beer…
- Where you’re staying
- Who’s joining you, and any dietary requirements
Share your preferences, and we’ll design a day in the Winelands that feels like it was made for you — because it was.
The Practical Details
Tour duration: Full day, 08h30 – 17h30 Tour type: Private Cost: Dependent on group size and location — email us for a tailored quote
BOOK NOW TO TO GO GREEN IN THE CAPE WINELANDS WITH US! |
My Blog on my visit to Avondale:
Read my blog for more information about Avondale and their quest to use a combo of Organic/Biodynamic and Biologic farm practices
Loading the Duck Mobile to move them from vineyard to vineyard – it is also to keep them safe from wild cats from the mountains overnight
BOOK NOW TO TO GO GREEN IN THE CAPE WINELANDS WITH US!
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