While South Africa's fertile valleys are world famous for their crisp white and classic French-style red wines, the area is also a treasury of rustic beauty and sprawling estates shaded by giant oak trees. This full-day drive will include the country's principal wine routes of Paarl, Stellenbosch, and Franschoek, and a stop en route for lunch. The day starts with a visit to Paarl where you will be struck by the beauty of the Valley, the pristine blue sky, the rolling vineyards, and the Pearl of Paarl set high above the valley. Paarl made headlines when President Mandela was released from the Groot Drakenstein prison, on the outskirts of the town, to freedom and the start of a new South Africa. Enjoy a wine tasting and cellar tour at one of the local estates. From Paarl, continue north-west to the beautiful village of Franschhoek, near the Drakenstein Mountains founded in 1688 by French immigrants fleeing the Huguenot religious persecution in Europe. A memorial in the town commemorates the arrival of these early settlers who helped develop the wines sought after by Napoleon, Bismark, and royalty such as Edward VII, the Prince of Wales. Here, stop for lunch  and another wine tasting at a vineyard. Continue to Stellenbosch, the second oldest town in South Africa and the historic heart of the country's wine region. In 1679, Dutch East India Company governor Simon van der Stel, recognized the fertility of this long valley on the banks of the Eerste River, as perfect for vineyards. The rest is history, which has been carefully cultivated in this town. A gracious blend of 18th-century Cape Dutch, Georgian, and Victorian buildings is evident on Dorp Street, where massive oaks still shade original water furrows. Enjoy a final wine tasting before returning to Cape Town.