South Africa — Blog Posts — WILL DRINK FOR TRAVEL

As you can read here, here, and here, South Africa is one of my favorite countries. I love the culture, the people, the vibes, and of course, the drinks. Amarula is South Africa's leading liqueur and they've teamed up with WildlifeDIRECT to save African elephants.

Elephant Poaching

While elephant poaching in Africa has declined for the fifth year in a row, approximately 55 elephants are killed per day. That is 55 too many. Elephant populations continue to fall due to illegal killing and other human activities, and global illegal ivory trade transactions have remained high. Despite a ban on the international trade in ivory, tens of thousands of African elephants are still being poached in large numbers for their ivory tusks each year.

Amarula and Elephants

You might be wondering why Amarula is invested in saving African elephants. Great question. Once a year, African elephants begin their journey to feast on the sun-ripened fruit of the Marula trees, which grow wild and free across the sub-equatorial plains of Africa. This signifies to local communities the fruit is ready to be hand-harvested and eaten or turned into Amarula, the delicious cream liqueur enjoyed all over the world. You can read more about how Amarula is made here.

How can you help?

Join Amarula in the fight to end poaching of one the world’s most beloved species. While poaching occurs in Africa, it is very much a global issue. Amarula recently launched the campaign, “Don’t Let Them Disappear,” and has a long history of giving back to protect African elephants. Their newest initiative kicked off this past September and continues through the end of 2017, where for every bottle of Amarula sold in the United States, $1 will be donated to the incredible non-profit organization, WildlifeDIRECT. These funds will support their on-the-ground conservation efforts to help save this magnificent species.

With the cooler season quickly approaching, there's no better time to enjoy this delicious, velvety cream liqueur drink. But if you can help save more African elephants too, it's a win/win for everyone! Join me in helping Amarula and WildlifeDIRECT in their noble cause.

As I've said before, a visit to Cape Town is not complete unless you've visited their famed wine country. I prefer Franschhoek to Stellenbosch (although I can't leave out Paarl) only because it's a smaller town and it was the first wine region in South Africa that I visited so it holds a special place in my (wine-loving) heart.

Since that first trip, I've been to Franschhoek a few times including with friends and on the Franschhoek Wine Tram. However during my most recent trip to Franschhoek, I was alone and didn't want to feel restricted by an official tour. I ubered from my hotel in Sea Point near city center out to Franschhoek, which cost me about $36 one way. Considering it's a 45 minute drive from the city out to wine country, I thought this was a fair price to pay. He decided to wait for me at each winery because I needed a ride home and he didn't want to accept another fare in fear it would take him back to the city. Nice guy.

On my quest to see more of Franschhoek and after much research, here are the wineries I decided to visit on my self-guided tour:

Stop 1: Delaire Graff Estate

This is the ultimate stop for luxury and wine. Not only can you taste Delaire Graff's wines, but you can stay in one of their luxurious rooms overlooking the mountains and relax at their estate spa. It's one of the most beautiful estates you'll find anywhere in the world.

Delaire Graff has a great variety of white and red wines to choose from; however, they also have a Brut MCC, otherwise known as South Africa's version of champagne. I don't really care for champagne in general; however, theirs was delicious and a choice not all other wineries offer.

Favorite Wine: Delaire Graff Franc Rosé

*Note: Technically Delaire Graff is in Stellebosch but it neighbors Anthonij Rupert Wyne Estate (below) and is only about a 10-15 minute drive from Franschhoek. I recommend starting here as you make your way further into Franschhoek.

Stop 2: Anthonij Rupert Wyne Estate

Nope! I didn't misspell Anthony or wine. "Wyne" is wine in Afrikaans and is pronounced "vin." (Don't say I never taught you anything.) I made sure to visit the Anthonij Rupert Wyne Estate because it was highly recommended by a colleague. Since I visited on a Monday morning, it was completely empty except for an American couple on their honeymoon (who actually paid for my tasting unbeknownst to me. Thank you if you're reading this!), so I had the run of the place mostly to myself.

It's a beautiful sprawling property and makes you fall further in love with Cape Town. Anthonij Rupert wines are the flagship of Mr. Rupert's vast wine portfolio, offering both red and white varieties. To note, there's another winery on the property, Terra del Capo. Its wines encompass Mr. Rupert's love of Italy, its wines and food, through three wines.

Favorite Wine: Anthonij Rupert Syrah

*Note: I would call to schedule an appointment before showing up. Their security was unusually tight. I didn't make an appointment but luckily they let me in. Also, their restaurant is not open on Mondays so go another day if you want to try their food.

Long weekends are meant to be spent in Cape Town. 🍷 #willdrinkfortravel #wowSouthAfrica

127 Likes, 7 Comments - Ashlee | Will Drink For Travel (@willdrinkfortravel) on Instagram: "Long weekends are meant to be spent in Cape Town. 🍷 #willdrinkfortravel #wowSouthAfrica"

Stop 3: Eikehof

The next stop I recommend is Eikehof (pronounced "eye-coff"), a small family-owned winery with beautiful grounds and views of the mountains to boot. It sits right at the beginning of Franschhoek's main town area. My first time at Eikehof was actually Valentine's Day 2016 and they were offering wine and picnic basket specials to enjoy with your loved one.

It's much smaller than Delaire Graff or Anthonij Rupert; however, I love the idea of a family-operated business. Not to mention they make delicious wines. They offer six wines: three reds, two whites and one rosé.

Favorite Wine: Chardonnay

I'm headed back to Cape Town's Franschhoek this weekend and I couldn't be more excited. I love traveling the Cape Town countryside. Beauty is everywhere! #willdrinkfortravel #Franschhoek #CapeTown #SouthAfrica

184 Likes, 19 Comments - Ashlee | Will Drink For Travel (@willdrinkfortravel) on Instagram: "I'm headed back to Cape Town's Franschhoek this weekend and I couldn't be more excited. I love..."

Stop 4: Leopard's Leap

Last but not least, the final stop on your self-guided wine tour is Leopard's Leap. They offer wine tastings, food, and even cooking classes. For wine tastings, you can choose from Family Collection, Classic or Lookout ranges, at R25 per person, or about $2.

Favorite Wine: Grenache Blanc

It's a long day but it's well worth it to taste a variety of Franschhoek's wines. Each vineyard is different so it gives you an idea of what Franschhoek has to offer. The vineyards are also near each other so you won't spend much of your day in the car going from one place to the next. But even if you did, Franschhoek is gorgeous and it'll be a day well spent.

Don’t Let Them Disappear: Help Amarula Save African Elephants