Paarl is one South Africa's most famous wine-producing areas. Located 60 km inland from Cape Town and just north of Stellenbosch, it is home to some of the Western Cape's best known wineries.
Far from the cooling Atlantic ocean breezes, Paarl is the hottest of the Western Cape's primary wine regions but that does not stop its wineries from churning out heavy-hitting and internationally beloved wines.
The Paarl Wine Route, renowned for its rich, full-bodied, spicy red and crisp white wines, is the second oldest in the country. The area is best known for the quality of its Shiraz, the climate in particular favouring this variety. Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinotage, Viognier and Mourvedre are increasingly well regarded.