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Article: Vintage South Africa: after decades of sanctions and political strife, vintners in the Cape Town region are finally taking their rightful place among the great winemakers of the world.
- Article from:
- House Beautiful
- Article date:
- September 1, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 Hearst Communications, reprinted with permission of Hearst. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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BORDERED BY TWO oceans and encircled by soaring, flinty mountains, the steep-sided verdant valleys of the Western Cape winelands in South Africa are undoubtedly among the most beautiful landscapes in the world. Arrow-straight rows of emerald vines extended in endless lines around gracious whitewashed Dutch homes, many converted into stylish hostelries. Less than an hour's drive from Cape Town, the roughly circular terrain enclosed by the towns of Paarl, Franschoek, Somerset West, and Stellenbosch provide perfect touring country and some of the region's best restaurants.
Grapes have been cultivated here since 1654, when the first Dutch colonists replanted the wild ...