May 15 is International Day of Families – a day to celebrate the importance of family. Make the day memorable with a visit to Groot Constantia to experience the estates unique Visitors Route. This family-friendly experience follows a specially designed circular route through the farms key attractions.
The original Manor House at Groot Constantia (which is an Iziko Museum) is the starting point to the Visitors Route Experience. From here, guests make their way to the famed Cloete Cellar, which is the original wine production cellar from 1791 and which now houses a wine museum and tasting room. After enjoying a wine tasting, with your own Spiegelau crystal glass to take home as a memento (children and those who don’t drink wine can enjoy fresh fruit juice), guests then head to the modern Production Cellar, which is the departure point for the self-guided cellar and vineyard audio-tours.
There is also the option to add a Chocolate and Wine Pairing Experience to your Visitors Route ticket is a must for lovers of the sweeter side of things. Until June 21, a Visitors Route ticket also gives you access to a unique exhibition, “Wine of Exile”, which features a selection of historical wine artifacts on loan from various museums. Visitors are being offered a rare chance to view items that unveil the history of the wine that Napoleon drank while in exile on St Helena Island.
Items on display, amongst others, include cut glass crystal wine goblets and glasses used by Napoleon, wine decanters, wine coolers, a ship decanter with outward sloping side and wide base for greater stability at sea, and the memoirs of Napoleons chamberlain that document details of his daily life and his love for Constantia wine.
The venue has two top-notch restaurants, Jonkershuis and Simon’s, where families can enjoy a great meal after they have finished exploring the Visitors Route. Booking before-hand is recommended at these popular restaurants. Jonkershuis is surrounded by ancient oak trees and Simon’s offers al fresco dining on the terrace. You can also order a picnic basket to enjoy on the lawns.
There is a reason that Groot Constantia has been nominated as one of the best child-friendly wine estates in the Cape. Wide open spaces, beautiful rolling green lawns, walkways to explore, and even resident ducks to feed. All of this within 15 minutes of Cape Town’s CBD, with no need to drive out to the more further afield wine lands.
Although pre-booking is not necessary for the Visitors Route Experience, tickets can be pre-purchased from Webtickets.
Alternatively, arrive and purchase your ticket directly from Groot Constantia on the day. A ticket costs R105. You can pay R155 for an added Chocolate and Wine pairing.
For more information on Groot Constantia visit www.grootconstantia.co.za.
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