Cape Town’s ‘Wine Birthday’
Cape Town’s annual Wine Birthday will once again take place this year on 2 February, celebrating South Africa’s longstanding history as a leading wine producer.
According to Tourism Update, the event will mark 366 long years since the first wine was created in the Cape in 1659.
This year’s celebration will take place at One&Only Cape Town over a weekend from 31 January to 2 February. More than 22 wine farms in popular wine regions such as Paarl, Franschhoek, Stellenbosch, Constantia and Wellington will participate – showcasing their wines and celebrating the art of winemaking.
The history of winemaking in South Africa
Winemaking in South Africa traces its roots back to the mid-17th century, when European settlers introduced viticulture to the region.
In 1652, the Dutch East India Companyestablished a supply station at the Cape of Good Hope to provide fresh produce for ships travelling between Europe and the East Indies. The Cape’s Mediterranean climate and fertile soils made it an ideal location for growing vines, and in 1655, Jan van Riebeeck, the first commander of the Cape, planted the first vineyards.
The first recorded wine production in South Africa occurred in 1659, with Van Riebeeck famously writing, “Today, praise be to God, wine was pressed for the first time from Cape grapes.”
These early efforts laid the foundation for what would become a thriving wine industry.
Today, Cape Town and its surrounding wine regions, such as Stellenbosch, Paarl, and Constantia, are celebrated for their exceptional wines, blending centuries-old traditions with modern innovation.
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