South Africa left me with a wonderful and indelible impression of its beauty, friendliness, food and of course its fabulous wines. Being wine lovers, it was imperative that we should spend some significant time visiting as many wineries as we could. South Africa has so many magnificent wine regions to visit and based on timing we had to pick four. We chose Constantia, Franschhoek, Walkers Bay and Stellenbosch. We visited so many wineries with so many great wines tasted and enjoyed, it is hard to pick which winery is the best as they all were spectacular. 

However, one winery seemed to stand out from a visual beauty perspective – Delaire Graffe Estates in Stellenbosch. This is truly one of the most opulent wineries I have ever visited. From the moment we entered the extraordinary property with stunning vistas including the views of the breathtaking Banghoek Valley from the terrace of the restaurant.

This image captures some of the Delaire Graffe vineyards in the autumn with their beautiful yellow and orange leaves. In the distance one can see one of South Africa’s mountain ranges surrounded by beautiful fluffy white clouds. This a perfect example of the unique geography of South Africa and shows how the wineries are built into the valleys within the mountain ranges – just stunning.