Home to South Africa's First Wine Route

The town of Paarl is named after the large granite outcrop that lies there, the largest of which looking a lot like a large dome or pearl. It lies 50km from Cape Town and is known as the world's first 'red route', thanks to its focus on wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Roodeberg and port. The Paarl district encompasses Franschhoek, Wellington, Simonsberg-Paarl and Voor-Paardeberg, so the variety of grapes grown in the region is vast. As already mentioned, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz is produced here, but also Pintotage, Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc. The majority of the estates offer wine tasting and cellar tours, and some have excellent restaurants.