Food and Wine on Safari
All of the properties we work with have fresh and delicious food, but if you want food and wine on safari in Africa, then South Africa is where you need to be! Cape Town and the Cape Winelands have some of the best restaurants in the world, including Test Kitchen, La Colombe, Aubergine and Signal Restaurant at the Cape Grace. The Cape Winelands, including Constantia, Stellenbosch, and Franschhoek are South Africa’s versions of Sonoma and Napa and produce award-winning wines on a global scale. Some of the most well-known vineyards include Steenberg, Haute Cabriere, Leeu, and Delaire Graff. You can explore the Winelands for a day or a week on foot, by bike, by horse, or with a private specialist guide. For more independence, you can get a ticket on the wine tram for a hop on/off experience. You could even add a day of tasting the Winelands’ other delicacies on a Chocolate, Olives and Cheese Tour!
Some safari properties throughout Africa, such as Singita Ebony and Jao Camp, are as well-known for their gourmet food and massive wine cellars as they are for their fabulous game-viewing, so you don’t have to be in Cape Town or the Cape Winelands to enjoy such culinary delights.
Great food and wine in Africa can be found if you head to the whale coast in South Africa for a stay at Grootbos or Mosaic to enjoy some specialty wine tasting and food pairings in the Hemel-en-Arde and Elgin Valley.
Savor the scent of spices and citrus as you explore the bustling marketplaces of Fez and Marrakech, and try your hand at cooking a local dish with a ‘dada’ (traditional chef) at La Maison Arabe. There is no shortage of fresh, simple, and delicious food in Israel. Enjoy bargaining for local treats in Tel Aviv’s Carmel Market, visiting a winery in the north, or taking part in a challah workshop in the south.
Australia’s most well-known wine regions are the Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, and McLaren Vale in South Australia. However, you can sample spectacular wines in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Margaret River region of West Australia, the Mornington Peninsula of Victoria, and throughout Tasmania.
New Zealand’s most famous wine region is Marlborough in the north of the South Island which is particularly well-known for its Sauvignon Blancs (which are perfectly paired with the local green-lipped mussels). The Central Otago region near Queenstown and Napier, south of Hawke’s Bay are other firm favorites for robust reds.
Set between the stunning Andes Mountains and the coastline, the valley south of Santiago is known as Chile’s best wine producer. Spend a few days in Santa Cruz or the Colchagua Valley touring and tasting as you go.
Mendoza! Located in the eastern foothills of the Andes Mountains, and a short flight from either Buenos Aires or Santiago. Malbec wines have become the most important variety to come out of this region.
Lesser known than its big wine-making neighbors, Uruguayan Wine Country produces the country’s signature varietal, tannat. A punchy bold red that carries heavy and fatty dishes, it’s basically a food pairing love match for asado (traditional barbeque).
