South Africa's wine routes have been united in a comprehensive, easy-to-read guide with the launch of the Wine Tourism Handbook. Not only covering the 16 local wine routes, individual wineries, and wine tasting and purchasing, there is a strong focus on culinary delights, wildlife, arts and craft, too.
Internationally, Australia has been a leader in wine tourism but due to a fragmented local industry, South Africa has been slow to follow. The Wine Tourism Handbook, in collaboration with South African wineries, aims to be a unifying voice.
"One of the main aims... was to involve visitors beyond a spectator level so that they can truly experience the unique qualities of the South African lifestyle that is associated with enjoyment of wine at its source," explains Monika Elias, publisher of the Wine Tourism Newspaper and the Wine Tourism Handbook.
"The Wine Tourism Handbook is an indispensable travel companion for any person wishing to visit and explore the wine routes because of its extensive information which is presented in a visually attractive and user-friendly fashion."
Noki Dube, CEO of Cape Town Routes Unlimited - which has endorsed the handbook - summarises the essence of wine tourism perfectly: "If I was given the unenviable challenge to select from this province only one product - I'd probably opt for a bottle of vintage wine. But as a tourism ambassador, I confess I'd be cheating because I'd be taking so much more."
The 167-page guide is available from book stores such as Exclusive Books and Wordsworth for R57.00.
