Stellenbosch Valley: Private Wine Tour with a Winemaker
Description
Your wine guide and host Jim, is South African, and a winemaker (Hunneyball Wines and Abbotts Hill wines in Platters). He speaks English and Swedish and is a certified tourist guide for all 9 provinces for history, culture, and nature as well. You can ask him what you like. :-) This is our most popular wine-tasting tour. We visit some of the youngest and oldest wine estates in the area as well as those in between. You will swirl, sniff and taste a representative cross-section of regional wines and visit vines and cellars where possible as well. You will also learn about our Culture, History, and Cuisine in as much or little detail as you like. Jim is a Cape Wine Academy graduate and member of the South African Sommeliers Association with great interest in sharing his knowledge of all aspects of wine enjoyment and production. No matter your experience, he is eager in sharing his knowledge of all aspects of wine enjoyment and production.
Tour Options
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Please let me know where I should collect you for the tour. If you’d like to be dropped off at a different address afterward, feel free to mention that too. And if you’re traveling with large or multiple bags, just give me a heads-up so I can make sure there’s enough space for everything. Looking forward to our adventure together!
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Operated by a multi-lingual guide
- Small children by are welcome on private tours
Reviews(32)
We had an exceptional time on the wine tour. Everything was arranged well. Jim was very knowledgeable about the wine and the region.
Thank you so much for your kind words Babak_K! I’m really glad to hear that you had an exceptional time in the Stellenbosch valley and that everything came together smoothly. It was a pleasure sharing the wines, stories, and character of the region with you. Your appreciation means a lot, and I hope to welcome you back for another memorable day in the Cape Winelands in the future. Warm regards, Jim
Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us, while exploring wine makers in Stellenbosch and Franschhoek! 😎 We appreciated to be able to speak Swedish, as part of the group is not fluent in English. Jim was a excellent guide through the wine tastings, while driving around and we had a remarkable lunch. Enjoy and relax! We sincerely recommend a day with African Invite with wine tasting! 😍
Thank you for your wonderful review Singingcarina, it's highly appreciated. Im glad to hear you enjoyed the tour. Safe travels Jim
My husband and I booked a private wine tour with Jim for April 7th 2024 (He was recommended to us by a friend who also had a great experience with Jim). Little did we know that it would be the day a big storm blew through the Cape Winelands with a level 9 warning. While we did not get to the planned vineyards, as many were closed due to fallen trees, we certainly enjoyed tasting multiple wines at Lievland, Bartinney, and Avondale Vineyards as well as a delightful lunch at the Faber restaurant at Avondale and a tour of their cellars. Jim was an amazing guide taking great care of us, driving safely, and sharing lots of great information about the area and about the wines we were tasting. He worked hard to find out which vineyards would be open and to ensure we had bookings to replace the ones that were closed - he is someone who can think on his feet and flex with the situation. We had a very enjoyable day, and I would highly recommend Jim for a private wine tour.
Thanks, elainep591, It hardly ever rains here, but on that day, it poured! The skies opened and some wine estates didn’t. Several roads were washed away or blocked by trees needed to change our plans. Im pleased to hear that you enjoyed the day. So, did I. In fact, it turned into an amazing tour. Safe travels and many thanks for the recommendation, Jim
Jim was an excellent guide and arranger for a terrific wine tour. Jim is quite knowledgeable on a variety of subjects, including of course wine - wine in general and within the region. I very much appreciated his insights and our day together. Highly recommend!
Many thanks Phil! It was a wonderful day. I'm pleased that you enjoyed the tour. Regards Jim
We had a wonderful day! We visited 3 estates that were completely different in style, which made it all the more interesting. We discovered the most beautiful place for lunch. Jim is the best guide you can imagine! He is so knowledgeable and passionate about wine and truly knows everyting about the culture and history of RSA. He is genuinely a very pleasant person to be with. I would not hesitate for a second to book another tour with Jim when we visit South Africa next time.
Many, many warm thanks for your wonderful review, Melissa! I am thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your day and hope to look after you again if you do return. Regards Jim
Jim was incredibly knowledgeable. 1 day with Jim is worth many years of studying wine! We had excellent SA wines and MCC. We are already planning a return trip with Jim in mind.
Thanks for your wonderful review, it's really appreciated. I'm glad that you enjoyed the tour and I look forward to seeing you again. Regards and thanks, Jim
Jim was a terrific guide. He is very knowledgeable about several topics, and is patient and accommodating. The tour included stops at three wineries with 18 samplings. We also learned a lot about the history and the prople of the areas we navigated. Highly recommended.
Hi Christine. Thank you for your warm review. It was an honour to host you and Herb. Both of you are incredibly well travelled, and I was honoured to show you around the Stellenbosch Valley. It was a wonderful day.
Jim was amazing. He took us to three wine estates and was incredibly knowledgeable about all of the wines. At one of the estates he was educating an employee on the wine making process! Jim also knows so much about South Africa and the history. As we were driving from place to place he would tell us what things were, what the culture and history were etc. I highly recommend this tour and Jim.
Dear 96SusanG, Many thanks for the wonderful review. I thoroughly enjoyed hosting you two. Our general discussion during the day was highly inspiring. I hope to see you again sometime in the future. Regards Jim
Super enjoyable long weekend with close friends in the Swartland. Jim is a really competent, humorous and knowledgeable guide. Great food and even better wine. Visits to eclectic "off the beaten track" wineries, chats with passionate wine makers and olive tasting in the Riebeck Kasteel valley. A truly amazing time.
Many thanks for your warm review. It was a wonderful tour full of humour and good wines. I'm thrilled that you enjoyed it and look forward to seeing you return.
Exploring The Swartland with Jim was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. Interesting local stories, fascinating winemakers, exceptional wines, just to name a few of the things we did. Thanks so much - we’ll be back for sure!
That's terrific to hear! The "wine-personalities" in the Swartland are special indeed and their stories more so. I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed the tour and hope to see you back here again. Safe travels onwards.
