Driving through vineyards and forests along Cape Town’s winding Spaanschemat Road, with the Constantiaberg towering above, it’s hard not to think that this sort of dramatic terroir must be hard to beat in the world of wine.

Cooling sea breezes, rich soils and plentiful rainfall have made the Constantia valley home to some of South Africa’s most famous vintages, and was the place Simon van der Stel chose in 1685 to plant the very first vines on South African shores. The fruits of those Muscat de Frontignan wingerdstok produced the famous Vin de Constance — rumoured to be Napoleon’s favourite tipple — and planted the seed for viticulture in South Africa.

With such a noble history of winemaking, an afternoon spent meandering through the historic estates of Groot Constantia, Klein Constantia and Buitenverwachting is a great way to enjoy some of the best the Cape has to offer. What’s more it will eventually land you on the doorstep of Constantia Uitsig; a fine place to pull in for the night and put your feet up after a hard day’s wine-tasting.

Not that you’re finished just yet… Uitsig also produces an excellent range of white wines — their Chardonnay Reserve is tops in my book — that can be tasted for free on the farm.

Don’t stop there though. One of South Africa’s finest restaurants is just a short drive through the vineyards, and you won’t want to miss the fine dining on offer at Luke Dale-Roberts’ La Colombe.

Filling the formidable shoes of former chef Franck Dangereux — who made La Colombe famous — doesn’t seem to have been any problem for Dale-Roberts, who has immediately stamped his own style on the menu with a range of lighter, healthier options. While staying true to the typically French tradition of La Colombe — you can still indulge in foie gras, sweetbreads and fillet — Dale-Roberts has also livened up the menu with Asian influences brought back from his various cheffing stints across the globe.

The menu — which changes daily and with the seasons — is chalked in French on black boards (don’t worry, your waiter will translate if you can’t parlez), while the extensive wine list offers something for every palate and pocket, including Constantia Uitsig’s own award-winning wines. A wine waiter is also on hand to help you select a wine for your meal.

The dappled courtyard is a fine spot for a relaxed lunch, but La Colombe really comes alive at night when flickering candles and formal tables transform the restaurant into the perfect place for a romantic dinner a deux. Fine dining of this calibre doesn't come cheap (expect to pay about R300 per head without wine), but for lovers of fine food and wine it's an unforgettable gastronomic experience.

"...the perfect place for a romantic dinner a deux..."

Fine dining in a relaxed setting at La Colombe.
After indulging in delicious dishes like a Beetroot 'Tarte Fine' with goats cheese fondant, finished with raisin and balsamic reduction or Grilled Loin of Springbok finished with a vintage port and black truffle reduction on a cold wintry night, you’ll hardly want to travel far to find a roaring fire and cosy bed.

Lucky then that the Constantia Uitsig Hotel is just a few steps away, offering 16 Garden rooms stylishly furnished in a colourful Provençal style. Despite offering all the modern comforts you'd expect of a luxury country hotel, the suites have the feeling of an old farm homestead, surrounded as they are by pastoral paddocks and the vineyards of this award-winning wine farm. Shaded by giant oaks, bordered by lush gardens and with a flock of muttering ducks completing the picture, it's not hard to imagine yourself on a distant winelands estate, rather than a working farm on the fringes of South Africa's second largest city.

The scent of the vines

Uitsig's cosy cottages are clustered around the lush gardens.
It’s not all about wining and dining though. You can also massage away those excesses in the Constantia Uitsig Spa, which opened earlier this year. The spa offers six treatment rooms and a range of massage and facial therapies, with the Les Aromes du Vin signature treatment being a popular choice.

While teething problems got in the way of experiencing it first hand, the treatment is — fittingly for a spa on a wine farm — said to combine the science of aromatherapy and the traditions of wine blending.

Les Aromes du Vin starts off with a skin polish and massage using the bouquet of extracts, ranging from vanilla and honey to juniper and cloves. The extracts are then blended with crushed, aged vine bark into a scrub that renews the skin and stimulates the senses.

The invigorating body polishing is completed by a hot oil grape seed massage which nourishes the skin and offers a truly relaxing experience. The treatment finishes off with a glass of chilled crushed grape sorbet in summer or warm spiced glühwein on chilly winter days.

It’s been said that the art of making wine is all about balance — achieving just the right mix of acidity, fruit and tannins make the difference between bottling ‘plonk’ and an award-winning vintage. If the blend of fine dining and luxury accommodation at Uitsig is anything to go by, 2007 is going to be a very good year indeed.

    For more info...
  • Visit the Constantia Uitsig website for more information on the Constantia Uitsig Hotel and La Colombe. The estate also boasts the widely acclaimed Constantia Uitsig restaurant which offers Italian-inspired cuisine, as well as the more informal River Café. La Colombe is regularly booked up weeks in advance, so make sure you plan ahead, especially in high season.
  • To find out more about the estates in this historic wine valley, visit www.constantiawineroute.co.za.
  • The Constantia Uitsig Secret Season Overnight Spa Package, valid until 30 September 2007 (for SA residents only), includes accommodation at the Hotel, a three-course dinner at La Colombe or Constantia Uitsig Restaurant, complemented by a carafe of your choice of Constantia Uitsig wine; a hearty farm style breakfast; and an indulgent 60-minute massage or salon treatment of your choice at Constantia Uitsig SPA – all for only R900 per person sharing (per night). In addition, the SPA is offering 15% discount on all other Massage and Salon Treatments until 30 September 2007.