What do you know about Hermanus? You 
probably know about its Whale Festival, which takes place every year towards the end of September. Perhaps you now that its property is very much in demand and that many of the country’s rich and famous like to play there. But did you know that it’s also part of the Cape Peninsula’s celebrated wine route?
Chances are fairly good that you didn’t have a clue about Hermanus’s wine credentials, but you needn’t feel bad about it as you’re in good company. In an effort to create more public awareness and leverage another tourism avenue, the Hermanus Wine Route, R320, is being re-launched.
The route follows a particularly scenic part of the countryside aptly named the Hemel-en-Aarde area, which means Heaven on Earth. According to the new Hermanus Wine Route website, the Hemel-en-Aarde region comprises three wine wards: Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Vallue and Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge. The names may be lacking in creativity, but when you’re onto a good thing, why change it?
The region specialises in white wines, especially Pinot noirs, Chardonnays and Sauvignon blancs, but, according to an article on iafrica.com, a special red blend called R320 (clearly playing to their strength, which lies in obvious naming conventions) will go on sale as part of the re-launch. Sales from R320 will go towards a local charity that provides education assistance to pupils in the area.
Not only are the wineries along the wine route committed to community upliftment, but they are also environmentally minded. Most of the wineries belong to the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative (BWI) and the Integrated Production of Wine (IPW), and also offer the Integrity and Sustainability Seal, which is a South African Wine and Spirit Board guarantee of sustainable business practices.
Don’t forget that Hermanus also offers a range of other attractions, including the ever popular (if controversial) shark cage diving, so you can hang out with some great whites, scuba diving, fishing in the lagoon, hiking and bicycle tours. Art lovers will enjoy several galleries, such as the Old Harbour Gallery, while antique lovers will find no end of treasures. Curios are ever present and boutiques offer vintage and modern fashions. You might also want to pop into Sansa Space Science, which monitors space weather and solar magnetic activity.
Hermanus is about a two-hour drive from Cape Town, which means that if you flew into the mother city, you’ll want to hire a car in Cape Town and drive along the lovely scenic road to Hermanus and all its delights.
(Image from Hermanus Wine Route website)
