Somerset West Offers A Blend Of Unique Culture

S omerset West, home to a         Most farms happily welcome         number of wine estates, is      visitors to enjoy tastings.        one of the most beautiful                                          and popular areas of the Western      Paarl Vinters is another region    Cape. While you are in the area       which is definitely worth          soaking up the natural beauty you     exploring if you are a wine        will certainly wish to tour at        connoisseur. The wines produced    least a few of the wine estates       in this region are primarily reds  in the local area and taste some      and the this area has become       of the fine vintages produced         known as the Red route. Some of    here.                                 the best red wines in the world                                          are produced here due to the       Franschhoek is considered to be       ideal soils, micro-climates and    one of the premier winery regions     strong red tradition.              in the world. The fertile ground                                         in this region was first used by      While wine certainly does form a   the French to produce wine some       strong part of the local region,   300 years ago. Today, the noble       there are also many other          tradition first begun by the          activities and sights to enjoy     Huguenots continues. There are        while in Somerset West. Spend an   more than twenty wine farms in        enjoyable afternoon in             the region, many of which are         Schreuderhuis, a thatched village  considered to be among the most       museum, which represents some of   respected in South Africa. You        the main stylistic periods         will find everything from             spanning the past three            excellent whites such as              centuries. The museum was          Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc,          actually one of the first dozen    Chenin Blanc and Semillon to rich     dwellings to be formed when the    and vibrant reds like Shiraz,         pioneer settlement was             Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.        established. Step back in time to  the eve of the French revolution      the oldest homestead in the Cape,  while also admiring neoclassical      Groot Constantia. The Manor House  architecture and even a typical       was originally allocated in 1685   Victorian residence of the late       to Governor Simon van der Stel.    19th century. A Toy and Miniature     Today, it portrays everyday life   Museum is also on site and well       in the 19th century. Collections   worth visiting for both the young     include Delft ceramics as well as  as well as the young at heart.        typical Cape furniture from the                                          mid-18th century. Both drinking    The Botanical gardens are also a      and storage vessels in a range of  must see, located in the oldest       materials dating back to 500BC     university gardens in South           are contained in the Wine Museum.  Africa. Indigenous and exotic         Cellar tours and wine tastings     plants are contained inside the       are offered inside the complex     museum, ranging from herb and         while two on-site restaurants      desert plants to orchids and          offer both Cape Cuisine and        lilies. Many of the plants you        Continental Style Cuisine.         will find inside the gardens are                                         quite rare, so this is definitely     From wine tasting to museum        worth a stop by in Somerset West.     explorations, Somerset West has                                          plenty to offer in terms of        Finally, make sure you drop by        culture.                           About the Author We are your source for Cape Town Accommodation, Cape Town Hotels, Bed and Breakfast in Cape Town, and more for your next vacation to the Western Cape. Published At: www.Isnare.com