Writer names Cape Winelands as one of his favourite vineyard regions

The well known  Australian wine writer Ralph Kyte-Powell nominates his favourite vineyard regions. He identified Champiane (France), Chille, Cinque Terre Italy and of course the Cape Winelands as his favourite.

He writes:

Champagne, France

Few other words are so synonymous with celebration and fun. The French region that gave us the world’s most imitated, luxurious sparkling wine is about two hours’ drive east of Paris and it makes a fascinating detour for the traveller.

Cape Town, South Africa

The heart of South Africa’s wine country is the town of Stellenbosch, about 50 kilometres east of Cape Town. Dating back to 1679, its long history has left a great legacy of historic buildings in the classic Cape Dutch style.The surrounding landscape makes this one of the most spectacular wine regions in the world, with craggy mountains as a backdrop to vineyards and bushland.

Vineyards here are called “wine farms” and some, such as the historic Plaisir de Merle – a splendid whitewashed Cape Dutch complex at the foot of the majestic Simonsberg mountain – are as atmospheric as any in the world.

Cinque Terre, Italy

Italians will plant grapes just about anywhere. You stumble across them in forests, backyards, between blocks of flats, behind service stations … But nowhere is the Italian penchant for turning the country into one big vineyard more evident than along the rugged coastline known as the Cinque Terre, near La Spezia in Italy’s north-west.

Chile

Wine in Chile has a 450-year history but only in the 1980s did it become world class.The country’s wine trails provide a great voyage of discovery for the adventurous traveller. The wine heartland is the warm, dry Maipo Valley, near the capital city of Santiago, and sauvignon blanc, cabernet sauvignon, carmenere, merlot and chardonnay are the main grapes.

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