Brandy, one of South Africa's most famous and finest products, is distilled and matured in many different cellars located in the rolling winelands of the Western Cape.
The Brandy Route was launched in 1997 by the South African Brandy Foundation to expose local as well as the international tourists to the world of South African Brandy.
The Route stretches from Stellenbosch, through Paarl and Franschhoek to the Breede River Valley town of Worcester.
Three of the attractions on the Brandy route can be found in the vicinity of Stellenbosch. These are the Van Ryn Brandy cellar, the Oude Molen Brandy Museum and Backberg Estate.
The Van Ryn Brandy Cellar is situated at Vlottenburg, 8 km outside Stellenbosch. This was the first brandy cellar to open its doors to visitors and features of interest include vast maturation cellars, a programme explaining the entire distillation process and a visit to the cooperative where maturation barrels are still made by hand from French oak. Brandy can also be tasted and purchased at the cellar.
The Oude Molen Brandy Museum in Stellenbosch presents an exciting audeovisual programme which complements the many old artefacts of the brandymaking process which are on display.
Backsberg, situated on the slopes of Simondium between Paarl and Stellenbosch, distills its brandy in a still imported from Cognac in France, and is open for sales and tasting.
