The 20 Best Wine Farms for Tasting Cap Classique near Cape Town

From the grandeur of Stellenbosch’s historic estates to candlelit underground cellars in the mountains of Robertson and Tulbagh, all the way to the Plett coast, cap classique offers some of the Cape’s most memorable wine-tasting experiences. From humble beginnings in the 1970s, South Africa’s traditional-method sparkling wine has come of age. It began with Simonsig’s Frans Malan, who, inspired by Champagne, made the first Kaapse Vonkel in 1971. Almost 60 years later, it is one of the country’s most dynamic wine categories. Producers are increasingly innovative, exploring specific sites and clones, natural ferments, amphora and foudre, while extended lees ageing is delivering increasingly complex, world-class wines. Wine is said to engage all the senses, but with its crisp sparkle, bubbly is the only wine you can hear, making a trip to one of these estates an immersive experience.

Twee Jonge Gezellen

Established in 1710, this Tulbagh farm is the home of Krone vintage-only cap classique. It’s also the site of Africa’s first underground cellar, where in the gloom bottles mature in traditional pupitres. Upstairs, the light-filled tasting room, furnished with custommade pieces by leading local designers, spills onto a terrace with views across the vineyards to the Saronsberg Mountains. Tastings include current vintages, site-specific wines and older releases. Stroll the historic grounds, with its whitewashed Cape Dutch vernacular and contemporary African art, culminating in the on-site Krone x WHATIFTHEWORLD gallery.
Standout cap classique Twee Jonge Gezellen Site Specific Blanc de Blancs 2022: Single-site chardonnay, naturally fermented in foudres, sees 36 months lees-ageing.
Opening times Tastings by reservation only.
Contact 023 230 0680, [email protected]
Where to find it Twee Jonge Gezellen Road, Tulbagh
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Silverthorn

Silverthorn is a small, family-run farm and cap classique specialist, their cellar overlooking the Breede River and Riviersonderend Mountains. John and Karen Loubser took over the farm in 1999, eventually devoting it entirely to the production of cap classique. Its limestone-rich shale soils, remnants of an ancient seabed, are particularly suited to sparkling wine, with fossilised fins still frequently found around the farm. Hear all the stories in situ; tastings are personally hosted by the Loubsers, who will take you through their celebrated range. Make a trip out of it and stay over at DogStar, the farm’s secluded self-catering cottage, complete with a plunge pool overlooking the river.
Standout cap classique Silverthorn River Dragon NV: 100% old vine colombard. Named for the mythical ‘River Dragon’ said to be eternally silhouetted against the Riviersonderend Mountains.
Opening times Monday – Friday, 12pm – 3pm
Saturday, 10am – 2pm. Booking essential.
Contact 072 063 3609, [email protected]
Where to find it R317, Robertson
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Weltevrede Estate

Home to the Jonker family since 1912, Weltevrede with its limestone-rich soils has long made a focus out of chardonnay and cap classique. So much so, they have created a magical experience called “Captivated by Cap Classique”, where you go underground into carved-out concrete wine tanks to explore traditional-method production before a tasting. Augment this with their “Create Cap Classique” offering, which allows you to disgorge, dosage, cork and label your own bottle to take home. Crown (cap) the day off with lunch at the excellent on-site restaurant, Kapokbos, for refined country cooking.
Standout cap classique Weltevrede ‘The Ring’ Blanc de Blancs 2023: 100% chardonnay. Named for the moment Philip Jonker popped the cork of his debut bubbly at his wedding to his barefoot bride.
Opening times Monday – Saturday, 8.30am – 4.15pm (last seating)
Contact 023 616 2141, [email protected]
Where to find it R317, Bonnievale

The House of Graham Beck

Founded in 1983, when Graham Beck himself bought Madeba farm outside Robertson. This specialist cap classique estate makes the most of the region’s limestone-rich soils. The striking cellar and tasting room sit low in the surrounding veld, with huge windows framing the landscape. It hosts an impressive collection of local and international art, too. Taste across the increasingly innovative Graham Beck range, served in Riedel stemware. Hungry? Pop a bottle and linger over locally sourced cheese, charcuterie or trout platters.
Standout cap classique Graham Beck Cuvée Clive 2019: A blend of chardonnay and pinot, named for Graham Beck’s son, the estate’s flagship is rich, complex and ageworthy.
Opening times Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm
Saturday + Sunday, 10am – 4pm
Contact 023 626 1216, [email protected]
Where to find it Scenic Cape Route, R60, Robertson

Genevieve MCC

Former pilot Melissa Genevieve Nelsen swapped the skies for sparkling wine, producing her first vintage in 2008. In 2017 she bought Klein Botrivier Farm, giving Genevieve a permanent home. The tasting room has an intimate, farmstead feel, with peacocks, chickens and ducks roaming outside. Taste through the cap classiques with a cheese-and-charcuterie board, then linger over a bottle taking in the Bot River countryside. Two self-catering farm cottages make staying over a temptation.
Standout cap classique Genevieve Blanc de Blancs RD 2013: 100% Bot River chardonnay. Made using the old French R.D. (Recently Disgorged) tradition, with an extraordinary 10 years on lees before disgorgement in 2023, building complexity while preserving freshness.
Opening times Wednesday – Saturday, 10am – 4pm
Contact 083 302 6562, [email protected]
Where to find it Klein Botrivier Farm, Karwyderskraal Road, Bot River
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Le Lude Estate

Tucked deep into the Franschhoek valley, find this cap classique haven with a custom-built cellar devoted solely to bubbles (tours are on offer). Taste through reserve, vintage and long-aged cuvées in the gorgeous French-inspired tasting room with soft green panelling, velveteen banquettes and gold detailing. Tastings can be accompanied by a light lunch starter menu. Or, head to Orangerie Restaurant, which takes its cue from traditional European glasshouses built for citrus trees, with a light-filled conservatory feel, black-and-white tiles, cane furniture and lush greenery.
Standout cap classique Le Lude Venus Agrafé Brut Rosé Nature Millésimé 2014: The first South African estate to adopt the French Agrafé technique, where second fermentation takes place under natural cork, instead of crown cap.
Opening times Monday – Sunday, 10am – 5pm; last tasting 4.30pm
Contact 021 876 2961, [email protected]
Where to find it Bowling Green Avenue, off Lambrechts Road, Franschhoek

Haute Cabrière

Where cap classique is most precious…. Arriving at Haute Cabrière is a bit like entering a scene in Lord of the Rings with its arched entrance burrowing straight into the mountainside above Franschhoek. The farm dates to 1694, when it was granted to French Huguenot Pierre Jourdan, namesake of its cap classique range. It’s also home to one of the Cape’s most dramatic underground cellars. Taste four Pierre Jourdan bubblies, opt for a macaron pairing or try sabrage, before emerging into the light for lunch at the glass-fronted restaurant with panoramic views across the valley.
Standout cap classique Belle Rose Brut Cap Classique NV: 100% pinot noir. Named by winemaker Takuan von Arnim’s grandmother, who exclaimed “Belle Rose!” (beautiful rose) when the family first tasted it.
Opening times Monday – Saturday, 10am – 5pm
Sunday, 10am – 4pm
Contact 021 876 8500, 064 928 1044 (WhatsApp), [email protected]
Where to find it Lambrechts Road (R45), Franschhoek

Simonsig Family Vineyards

It was here that Frans Malan made Kaapse Vonkel in 1971, the country’s first bottle-fermented sparkling wine. Today, third-generation Michael Malan is cellarmaster. Taste the range under the oaks in summer or fireside in winter. There is a special 90-minute bubbly experience also offered that includes tasting with sabrage. Stay for brunch or lunch at Vonkel, Afrikaans for “sparkle”, a relaxed restaurant spilling onto oak-shaded lawns, with an open kitchen and wood-fired oven turning out sourdough Neapolitan-style pizzas.
Standout cap classique Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel Brut 2024: The OG. South Africa’s first; a timeless blend of chardonnay, pinot noir and meunier.
Opening times Monday – Sunday, 9am – 5pm
Contact 021 888 4915
Where to find it Kromme Rhee Road, Koelenhof, Stellenbosch
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Charles Fox Cap Classique Wine Estate

A passion project in the truest sense. Charles and Zelda Fox left Johannesburg and bought a run-down Elgin fruit farm in 2005 specifically to make cap classique, planting chardonnay, pinot noir and meunier in 2007. Beneath the farm is a purpose-built cellar with space for 200 000 bottles to mature underground. Tastings take place in an airy upstairs space with rolling views of the valley.
Standout cap classique Charles Fox Cipher Blanc de Noir 2018: Unlock the secret to the estate’s prestige cuvée, made from red grapes, pinot noir and meunier; aged for over five years on the lees.
Opening times Monday – Friday, 10am – 5pm
Saturday, Sunday + public holidays, 10am – 4pm
Contact 082 569 2965, 082 471 3444, [email protected]
Where to find it 89 Valley Road, Elgin

Villiera Wines

Specialising in one of the country’s largest cap classique portfolios, this Stellenbosch stalwart offers tastings in their ‘Wine Sanctuary’; a casual, welcoming space that meanders outside beneath the old oaks. Enjoy a flight of six bubblies or, for something different, a cap classique-and-nougat pairing. Take a walk on the wild side with a two-hour game drive through the estate’s 230-hectare wildlife sanctuary, home to giraffe, zebra, kudu and other antelope, complete with a wine-tasting.
Standout cap classique Villiera Monro Brut 2019: The kind of bubbly that can stand up to the main course at dinner. The estate’s ‘Vintage Prestige Cuvee’ is a masterclass in biscuity, creamy, savoury autolysis.
Opening times Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm
Saturday + public holidays, 9am – 3pm
Contact 021 865 2002, [email protected]
Where to find it Corner R101 + R304, Koelenhof, Stellenbosch
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Steenberg Wine Farm

A contemporary ode to bubbles in South Africa’s oldest wine region, Steenberg was founded in 1682 by Catharina Ras, the Cape’s first recorded female landowner. Today the working wine farm plays host to a hotel, spa, restaurants and golf course. The ultramodern indoor-outdoor tasting space overlooks vineyards, gardens and reflection pools. Inside, be dazzled by the vast glass-grape installation hanging over the oval tasting bar. Try the “Bubbly Glass Exploration”, which demonstrates how different stemware changes the experience of drinking cap classique.
Standout cap classique Steenberg Lady R 2020: Named for the lady herself, the estate’s vintage bubbly is a 37% pinot noir, 63% chardonnay blend.
Opening times Monday – Sunday, 10am – 6pm; last tasting 5pm
Contact 021 713 2211, [email protected]
Where to find it Steenberg Road, Tokai, Cape Town
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Boschendal Estate

Boschendal is one of the Cape’s oldest wine farms, set between the Simonsberg and Groot Drakenstein mountains. Wine-tasting takes place at the Cellar Door, where tables sit beneath a magnificent old oak. For bubbles, there’s a dedicated tasting of four cap classiques, which can be paired with Saldanha Bay oysters. Wander the vegetable, herb and rose gardens, picnic under the oaks, explore by bike or horse, or stay for farm-to-table dining.
Standout cap classique Boschendal Jean Le Long Prestige Cuvée Blanc de Blancs 2012: 100% chardonnay from high-altitude, cool-climate Elgin vineyards. An impressive 60 months on lees, followed by a further year on cork for creamy, autolytic depth.
Opening times Cellar Door: daily, 9.30am – 4.30pm (wine sales until 5.30pm)
Contact 021 870 4274, [email protected]
Where to find it Pniel Road, Groot Drakenstein, Franschhoek
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L’Ormarins by Anthonij Rupert Wyne

Just before you enter the main drag of Franschhoek, find this island of culture, the interlocking, historic farms of L’Ormarins and Anthonij Rupert. A complimentary tram connects the various attractions, which includes the Anthonij Rupert Tasting Room, Terra del Capo Tasting Room, and Franschhoek Motor Museum. Complete the tour with a tasting of refreshing cap classique in the beautifully-appointed Cape Dutch manor house, complete with yellowwood floors, antiques, period art and a verandah overlooking the manicured lawns. It’s all rather civilised. Taste the four L’Ormarins cap classiques, with the option to pair with artisanal nougat.
Standout cap classique L’Ormarins Blanc de Blancs 2020: 100% chardonnay, with the majority of grapes sourced from the special high-altitude Altima vineyard in Elandskloof, where  vineyards climb to 878m.
Opening times Monday – Saturday, 10am – 5pm (last tasting 4pm)
Contact 021 874 9041/9074, [email protected]
Where to find it Anthonij Rupert Wine Farm, R45, Franschhoek

Canto Wines

Among Durbanville’s swell of rolling hills, disappear into Canto, a boutique winery with a focus on cap classique. The bright tasting room occupies a white, chapel-like building, opening to a patio and broad lawns overlooking the vineyards. Its signature experience pairs four cap classiques with four macarons; think chardonnay with pistachio to pinot noir with Turkish delight. Alternatively, taste the four bubblies on their own; or purchase a bottle or two and enjoy a platter from the deli, order a pizza, or claim a picnic spot over weekends.
Standout cap classique Canto Chardonnay Brut 2020: Durbanville’s moderate-to-cool climate is capable of producing chardonnay with crystalline acidities, ideal for cap classique.
Opening times Wednesday + Thursday, 11am – 5pm
Friday + Saturday, 11am – 7pm
Sunday + public holidays, 11am – 6pm
Contact 021 492 2821, [email protected]
Where to find it Vissershok Road, Durbanville
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Laborie Wine Estate

One of the oldest farms in the Cape, curled up against Paarl Mountain. Laborie was granted to French Huguenot Isaac Taillefert in 1691, and as legend has it in 1698, a visiting Frenchman likened its wines to those of Champagne. Come see for yourself with a tasting of four cap classiques beneath the oaks, or retire like the gentry inside the historic Manor House. There are platters available too.
Standout cap classique Laborie Blanc de Blanc 2018: 100% chardonnay. The champagne of cap classique with 60 months lees-ageing for classic autolytic complexity.
Opening times Monday – Friday, 11am – 3pm
Saturday, 11am – 6pm; Sunday, 11am – 4pm
Contact 021 807 3095
Where to find it Taillefer Street, Paarl

Newstead Lund Family Vineyards

Inspired by similarities they saw between Plettenberg Bay’s cool maritime conditions and New Zealand’s, Sue and Doug Lund bought some fallow land in The Crags in 2006. Like a genteel country home, full of personality, the tasting room and restaurant looks directly onto the vineyards, with seating on the covered verandahs and out on the lawn. Taste the estate’s cap classiques, then settle in for a long, family-style lunch: slow roasted lamb and chilli chicken are the stars, joined by wood-fired pizzas and charcuterie boxes to share.
Standout cap classique Newstead Blanc de Blancs 2018: 100% chardonnay, hand-picked from the estate’s cool Plett vineyards. The high natural acidity lends itself to ageing.
Opening times Wednesday – Sunday, 11am – 4pm (Monday – Sunday in peak season)
Contact 076 300 9740, [email protected]
Where to find it Redford Road, The Crags, Plettenberg Bay
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The Alexander Estate

A jewel of the Cape Peninsula. The Alexander Estate is set beneath Chapman’s Peak with vineyards sweeping toward the blue of the Atlantic. Tastings are intimate and story-led; either hosted in the Limelight Lounge or on the Cellarmaster’s Deck. The special Cap Classique tasting is served with Saldanha Bay oysters or charcuterie. Stay longer at the five-star boutique hotel, where vineyard suites, pools and decks make the most of the mountain-and-sea setting.
Standout cap classique Alexander Vineyards Brut Rosé NV: When you see blue, drink pink. Pinot noir-led, gently pressed for its salmon hue, aged 16 months on lees.
Opening times Tastings by appointment only.
Contact 021 300 9269, [email protected]
Where to find it Silvermine Road, Noordhoek
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Bramon Wine Estate

Where the Plett Wine Route got its sparkle. Bramon became the coastal town’s first winery when Peter and Caroline Thorpe planted sauvignon blanc in 2000 beneath the Tsitsikamma Mountains, helping pave the way for Plettenberg Bay to become a Wine of Origin. Small cheese boards accompany tastings, but for the most fun, book a table between the vines, for a long lunch of tapas-style dishes.
Standout cap classique Bramon MCC Sauvignon Blanc 2017: South Africa’s first sauvignon blanc cap classique (vintage 2004), then made by bubbles king, Pieter Ferreira. Perfect as an aperitif.
Opening times Tuesday – Sunday, 11.30am – 5pm
Contact 073 833 8183
Where to find it N2, The Crags, Plettenberg Bay
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Lanzerac

Grandeur is the name of the game at Lanzerac. Established in 1692, picture white-gabled Cape Dutch buildings with the backdrop of the Jonkershoek Mountains, oak-lined avenues and manicured gardens. The elegant tasting room, all dark wood, leather and chandeliers, suits the occasion of opening a bottle of bubbly. Tastings take place inside or on the vineyard-facing veranda, with a heritage flight that includes the estate’s cap classique. Daily cellar tours are available too. Linger longer… There’s a five-star hotel, spa, deli and several restaurants and bars.
Standout cap classique Lanzerac Blanc de Blancs Brut NV: 100% chardonnay from two Jonkershoek blocks; a portion barrel-fermented for extra structure and 18 months on lees.
Opening times October – April: daily, 8am – 7pm
May – September: Sunday – Thursday, 8am – 5pm; Friday + Saturday, 8am – 6pm
Contact 021 887 1132, [email protected]
Where to find it Lanzerac Road, Stellenbosch
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Ken Forrester Vineyards

“Mr Chenin” naturally makes his bubbly from chenin too, with the traditional-method Sparklehorse complemented by a lively pair of pét-nats (grenache noir and chenin blanc). Taste them at the farm’s Wine Lounge on the slopes of the Helderberg, where stained-glass windows mirror the colourful pét-nat labels. Take a seat alongside them before wandering through the sculpture garden, glass in hand. Cheese and Wagyu biltong platters are available too.
Standout cap classique Ken Forrester Sparklehorse: 100% chenin blanc from mature Stellenbosch vines. Traditional-method, with extended lees ageing.
Opening times Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm
Saturday, 10am – 4pm
Contact 021 855 2374
Where to find it Corner R44 + Winery Road, Stellenbosch

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