The official viticultural zone of Coastal Region measures about 65 miles in the north-south direction and about 30 miles in the east-west direction.

This region accounts for almost half of the country’s total vineyard area. As the historic birthplace of the South African wine industry, this region stretches from Darling in the north to Cape Point in the south.

Now, you would have understood the significance of this region – let’s learn more about this region right away here…

It is said that the French refugees who settled here in the late seventeenth century introduced vines, as well as winemaking in the Coastal Region, especially, in the northern areas of Paarl, Tulbagh, and Swartland.

Apart from these, we can also observe several standalone inselbergs dotting the regions of Paarl Rock, Paardeberg, and Simonsberg.

As such, the region is found to be taking the climatic influences from both the Atlantic Ocean and the above-said mountains.

Thus, the region is experiencing a variety of mesoclimates and hence, the areas closer to the coast are experiencing a maritime type of climate with lots of ocean breezes, whereas the areas farther from the coasts (inlands) are experiencing a Mediterranean type of climate.

The mountains that are bordering the western part of the region are bringing cooling influences to the inlands.

When it comes to vineyard cultivation, the higher altitudes combined with the trapped cloud cover would help refreshing vineyards and contribute to the diurnal temperature differences.

I would say these factors are providing a positive effect in the vineyards of the Coastal region.
When we look at the soils of the region, we can understand there is a great diversity throughout the region.

Among others, the major soil types that are found in the region are weathered granite, Malmesbury shale, and Table Mountain sandstone.

Wine Districts of the Coastal Region

The seven districts of the Coastal Region defined under the Wine of Origin scheme are as follows:

Cape Point District

This is located at the southern tip of the Western Cape and is known for its maritime vineyards. There are four wineries in this district.

Darling District

This district has one ward within it and has a total of seven wineries.

Paarl District

This is the hottest among the wine regions of Western Cape. However, this district has as many as 152 wineries and four wards.

Stellenbosch District

This district has seven wards and is considered to be the crown jewel of the country’s wine industry. There are 542 wineries in Stellenbosch.

Swartland District

This has two wards and can be said as the country’s wine region to watch. It has 65 wineries.

Tulbagh District

There are 13 wineries in this wine district.

Tygerberg

It has two wards and 21 wineries.

Wine Grapes of the Coastal Region

The region has a wide variety of wine grapes throughout. Some of the major varieties are as follows:

• Sauvignon Blanc
• Shiraz
• Chenin Blanc
• Pinotage
• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Merlot
• Chardonnay
• Malbec
• Semillon

Wines from Coastal Region

South Africa Red Wine - South Africa White Wine

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Vineyards in Coastal Region, South Africa

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