Map The Wine

Map / South Africa

Paarl

A valley in the Cape Winelands north of Stellenbosch, home of Chenin Blanc, Shiraz and the Cape's old cooperative tradition.

Northern CapeKwaZulu-NatalFree StateEastern CapeLimpopoNorth WestMpumalangaWestern CapeGautengConstantiaStellenboschPaarlPaarl
The shaded area contains the region, and the rounded shape shows its rough extent; the gold dot marks its centre. Drag to pan, or use the buttons or Ctrl and scroll to zoom. Other regions of South Africa are linked on the map.

Where it is

Paarl lies about 60 km north-east of Cape Town in the Berg River valley, at the foot of Paarl Mountain, a large granite outcrop. Franschhoek lies to the south-east.

Land and climate

Mediterranean, warmer and drier than Stellenbosch. Soils include granite and Table Mountain sandstone.

Grapes and wines

A wide range: Chenin Blanc, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage and Chardonnay. KWV, the former cooperative that controlled South African wine for decades, is based in Paarl.